What's new

*** Official 10th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2009 *** (1 Viewer)

Mario Gauci

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
2,201
Originally Posted by Russell G ...I suppose it'd be wiser to pass on it!


P.S. By the way, Russ, since you're the head honcho this year, I wanted to ask you something: I have a couple of movies that I was planning on seeing during the Challenge that exist (and I own) in different versions - Abel Gance's THE END OF THE WORLD (1931), John Parker's DEMENTIA (1955), Lawrence Harvey's WELCOME TO ARROW BEACH (1974), etc. - and I was wondering if I could be allowed to include both versions and count them as two separate films. What do you think?
 

Originally Posted by Radioman970

I have "a thing" for Tilly (her sister too). She was wonderfully self mocking in SEEDS. I could watch her in anything.

You must cream yourself in the first ten minutes of Liar Liar! I love Tilly too, world's sexiest voice for sure.

Sorry Mario, thoughts on Les Yeux coming soon. For now all I can say is what a superb score and atmosphere the flick has.

And don't worry about defending Vampyr; I can see how the pacing and lack of big events may not appeal to some, but it has too many enamoured fans to need to impress everyone. Its such a gorgeous spooky atmospheric film I can't wait to see it on MoC DVD, then hopefully blu ray. I'm a fan and I've only ever seen it pictureboxed!!!
 

Joe Karlosi

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2003
Messages
6,008
Originally Posted by Mario Gauci ">[/url]

Whenever someone trashes a favorite of mine, I always feel inclined to right the slight and give out my own "correct" opinion of the movie; actually, I have purchased the R2 SE from MoC of VAMPYR (1931) and was toying with the idea of including it in this challenge

[/QUOTE]
Oh, I think Russ got VAMPYR right. (zzzzzzzzz) .
 

Mario Gauci

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
2,201
Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi /forum/thread/293327/official-10th-annual-htf-october-scary-movie-challenge-2009/90#post_3613120
 

Mario Gauci

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
2,201
Originally Posted by Ben Cheshire ) shown for the two s-l-o-w horror masterpieces of the 1930s i.e. VAMPYR (1931) and THE MUMMY (1932); personally, I think that their sluggishness is what makes them all the more strange and eerie and, as far as I'm concerned, get better with each subsequent viewing! I can understand one being disappointed on a first viewing of them for not having what one most expects from a vampire and mummy movie - bloodied fangs and cloth-wrapped zombies - but to keep bringing them down for that 'fallacy' rather than concentrate on what other unique qualities they are bringing to the formula is baffling if you ask me.
 

Joe Karlosi

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2003
Messages
6,008
Originally Posted by Mario Gauci ) shown for the two s-l-o-w horror masterpieces of the 1930s i.e. VAMPYR (1931) and THE MUMMY (1932); personally, I think that their sluggishness is what makes them all the more strange and eerie and, as far as I'm concerned, get better with each subsequent viewing! I can understand one being disappointed on a first viewing of them for not having what one most expects from a vampire and mummy movie - bloodied fangs and cloth-wrapped zombies - but to keep bringing them down for that 'fallacy' rather than concentrate on what other unique qualities they are bringing to the formula is baffling if you ask me. [/b]

Back to my "one suit does not fit all" philosophy here, I think. I plan to trudge through THE MUMMY again, but I've seen it a couple dozen times since I was a kid and it never does much more than bore me, even though I do admire Karloff in the role, and think it's still got an opening chill that packs a punch even today. I also think DRACULA is too slow, but yet that one works more for me with its creaky pacing moreso than THE MUMMY does. What can I tell you? That's just the way it goes. It's on an individual basis. Sometimes certain things work in slow films, sometimes ambiance and mood compensates; sometimes not enough.
 

Mario Gauci

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
2,201
Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi /forum/thread/293327/official-10th-annual-htf-october-scary-movie-challenge-2009/90#post_3613128
 

Originally Posted by Joe Karlosi
Just because acclaimed director Howard Hawks directed THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD doesn't mean it's anything more than a talky bore

I think most people dislike feeling a movie is too talky. Its supposed to be cinema, not a play, right? That's why I hated Watchmen and Funny People; I felt so much of the time they talked about things instead of doing/showing them. However, I try to be patient with movies from 1929-1935, because they'd just figured out how to talk, so what did they do, they talked!

I haven't seen The Mummy (1932) or Dracula (1931), but I should say that in general I find Howard Hawks, coming as he did well after the historical talkie grace period, to be an especially talky, play-like filmmaker. I love The Big Sleep and Ball of Fire, for example, but I can't rewatch Rio Bravo, for example, without it occuring to me at some point that Hawks can be static and unfilmic. I've heard critics write about his static head-level setups as "signature," but I just think they're boring.

Vampyr, however, I think is a film that really embodies everything we learned about cinema from starting without words, then getting rid of them entirely (Murnau's The Last Laugh). Vampyr I think is a very cinematic mood piece, which I enjoy the shots and style of immensely.

(That sort of makes me think of a side question: I haven't seen much Dreyer at all aside from this. I gave up on Ordet for reasons of being too talky and serious... All I know about Dreyer are the jokes about him that he's about the dryest most dour filmmaker who ever lived. Are there any other films he made that have a similar visual brilliance to Vampyr? Perhaps the silents? Plz recommend!)
 

Radioman970

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
8,364
Location
Could be anywhere
Real Name
James Perry
Day Two: October 2nd (continued)


The Price is right on this 3-for-1 deal!


tales_of_terror_poster_03.jpg



6. Tales of Terror. (1962-finally bothering to look up the release date..haha!) Chose this classic American International Films Poe anthology since I knew I could watch the first story...go off to the biggest horror of the day Friday (biggest horror=working thankless job for stupidly late hours at no extra pay) and watch the other 2 stories without ruining the flow of any of them. Very strategic, if I don't say so my damn self, since I knew the first story, with Price pining for his dead wife, by far the weakest. There's some lovely ladies, Price (of course), and a not so terribly scary ghost. The final 2 stories make this a worthy purchase though. I love them both! The final one includes Basil Rathbone and seems eery enough to warrant a full length film on its own...if it could be expanded properly. Corman distorts some cheese makeup effects...perhaps more distortion was in order, but it's quite chilling thanks to the twisted Poe subject matter involving the moments at death...and after. The middle story is a play on The Black Cat with Peter Lorre joining Price in a somewhat out of place comedic turn. I guess every horror anthology should have at least one thrown in for laughs. Price and Lorre are experts at ad libbing their way through material like this...no telling how much was made up as they were going along.


Wanted to add: this film looked pretty good upconverted. Very excited about seeing some of my other favorites made to look "almost" HD.


HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 8


Kim Carnes should've done a sequel to "Bette Davis eyes" called "Peter Lorre eyes".


peter_lorre.jpg



NOTE: Starting Saturday earlier than expected. Thought it would be 10AM before I could begin my first complete film....but it'll be an hour earlier.



Of course I woke up an hour early...so will just need extra cup of joe later...
wink.gif





Will post later today when I feel like taking a quick break...usually I update weekends on Monday but that will be impossible...
 

Radioman970

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
8,364
Location
Could be anywhere
Real Name
James Perry
Originally Posted by Ben Cheshire

*takes a break from Horrorthon to search all over town for a copy of Liar Liar*

I've never seen it....but there's now a 100% chance I will! :p
 

MattFini

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
607
[COLOR= rgb(255, 153, 0)]Zombieland (2009)[/COLOR]

I commented about this in my list post, too (which is back on page 1). It's a fun movie, loaded with some really fun zombie gags and strong writing but, somehow, it still feels as though something's missing. I think that's large in part because lots of shots of barren landscapes don't bother to show a world overrun with zombies, cheating us out of that apocalyptic vibe that's essential with these types of film.

That said, I laughed and had a good time, which is more important than what I felt the film "should've" been.
 

PatW

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
1,600
Real Name
Patricia
Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

Well I sat down with my daughter to watch this one late last night. I'm unfamilar with the franchise but I caught on real quick. Entertaining with enough blood and gore to make the gorehounds happy or at least my family. Not being familiar with this series it hard for me to judge this against the other two but I certainly felt myself involved with the characters. If I have an opportunity to watch the first two movies I will do so. The ending screams sequel and I've been informed that's in the works.
 

Jim_K

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2000
Messages
10,087
I didn't care much for Vampyr the first time I watched it. I warmed up to it the second time.

I'll refrain from commenting on Karlosi's weird hate-on for Hawks Thing From Another World as it really doesn't need defending from me. The ranting is comical though, much more so than an episode of the flippin Munsters. [/b]
A.K.A. Seven Notes in Black. A surprisingly intelligent and suspenseful murder/mystery centered around clairvoyant Jennifer O'Neill. I'm not really the biggest fan of Italian Giallo and much less so the films of Lucio Fulci but this one isn't that bad at all, in fact it's pretty good. Thankfully restrained in the cheesy gore department which is Fulci's trademark.
 

Steve Christou

Long Member
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2000
Messages
16,333
Location
Manchester, England
Real Name
Steve Christou
Just because acclaimed director Howard Hawks directed THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD doesn't mean it's anything more than a talky bore with a silly bald man as its 'monster', in my opinion.

I can't rewatch Rio Bravo, for example, without it occuring to me at some point that Hawks can be static and unfilmic. I've heard critics write about his static head-level setups as "signature," but I just think they're boring.

I plan to trudge through THE MUMMY again, but I've seen it a couple dozen times since I was a kid and it never does much more than bore me
oooh boy am I in the wrong company!
 

Originally Posted by Radioman970

She's sexy as hell in Liar Liar. Short hair, always in tight low-cut business suit, always cleavage with sexy voice showcased. It's like PG, so obviously there's no nudity, but for cheeky innocent-type sexiness, she cuts a couple of pretty shapely figures. :p If you love Tilly, absolutely seek it out!
 

Larry Sutliff

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2000
Messages
2,861
Karloff, on the other hand, sleepwalks through the material and really doesn't add too much


I disagree. I think Karloff is pretty animated in BLACK FRIDAY, especially the scene where he explains his plans to his daughter("WHAT A TRIUMPH!"). But, if the film belongs to any one actor, it's Stanley Ridges in the dual role of Kingsley/Cannon.
 

Larry Sutliff

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2000
Messages
2,861
October 2nd viewings:


NOSFERATU(1922) 1/2- Yeah, it's inaccurate, but it's also highly entertaining, and even touching at times. Martin Landau's foul mouthed portrayal of Lugosi may not be the whole truth, but his body language and use of his eyes makes him seem like Lugosi personified. Howard Shore's score is lots of fun. This is probably my favorite Tim Burton film.
 

Ruz-El

Fake Shemp
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2002
Messages
12,539
Location
Deadmonton
Real Name
Russell
Originally Posted by Mario Gauci Nazis steal Frankenstein monsters heart, the Japanese get a hold of it and store it in Hiroshima, and you can guess what kind of giant monster madness is going to break loose! This one was a lot of fun, with a giant Frankenstein monster that plays like King Kong running about against a giant phosphorecent dino-thing. Oh yeah, they trash a city too.

My running tally, so far all 5 are first timers!
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/293327/official-10th-annual-htf-october-scary-movie-challenge-2009#post_3610212

Keep up the great work guys! It's a fun read over first coffee in the morning! Now I have to get back to a film I got called "Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster", though the title card on the film itself was "Ebirah Horror Of the Deep"... those crazy Toho monster films!
/forum/thread/293327/official-10th-annual-htf-october-scary-movie-challenge-2009/90#post_3613101
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,710
Messages
5,121,125
Members
144,146
Latest member
SaladinNagasawa
Recent bookmarks
0
Top