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Horror TV

Airing now in Russia is the TV serial SURVIVAL GAME (Igra Na Voizhivanye).

This tells the story of a group of contestants in a reality TV show which involves them being flown to a remote part of Russia and being required to partake in a series of challenges. However, the organisers of the show disappear in unusual circumstances and the contestants are left for themselves as they face a series of real-life terrors....

Survival 1.jpg

So, it;s like a grittier and more adult Hunger Games - and may have been inspired by false rumours about plans to stage just such a game in Russia a few years back.

This seems to be an ambitious big budget affair - with location shots, nice photography and some decent acting as well as a few stars (which includes Aleksandr Bortich -Russia's woman of the moment). It is being broadcast Monday to Friday every evening.

It's got a bit of everything: wild dogs, psycho local yokels, madness, revenge, apparitions...the lot, and it's full of mystery with a hint of pagan folk horror luring at the back of it. It's brutal in parts though - more so than any Western product would be.

I can see it gathering cult status, much as Lost - which it kind of resembles -did a few years back. It might even make it to the West.
 
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Just going to check in the latest love raft country now.

The Russian "survival game" looks good, I would need subtitles though .
 
Goedam: South-Korean anthology horror series based on urban legends. Eight episodes ranging from 7 to 15 minutes in duration. Some of the episodes are interconnected. Actually they all might be in a way. It's important to note that they don't occur in chronological order. You get vengeful ghosts (surprise!), a Shaman killing children to gain their spirit power, a Vlogger beset by a demon, spider like women with long straggly hair who look as if they've just emerged from a well or a tv screen, even inter-dimensional travel via a lift. Some really disturbing scenes, this is not for squeamish or faint of heart. Directed by Hong Won-ki and written by Lee Gang-hyeon. On Netflix. 7/10.
 
The Haunting Of Bly Manor: While you do get some disturbing scenes of violent, vengeful ghosts the Horror in this series is mostly of a psychological nature. A sense of dread gradually build up even though the narrative does not unfold in a linear manner. We get flashbacks, flashbacks with flashbacks, even an episode which goes back to the origin story of the Haunting in the Seventeenth Century. Characters also dream when they are possessed by ghosts or even when they are ghosts themselves they are caught in recursive memories akin to timeslips or time-loops. This is very much a Gothic drama and while it does drag at times (and perhaps could have lost an episode) it is an impressive and worthwhile attempt at adapting The Turn Of The Screw for the screen. The Showrunner is Mike Flanagan who Directs/Writes the first episode. Nine episodes on Netflix. 8/10.
 
The Haunting Of Bly Manor: While you do get some disturbing scenes of violent, vengeful ghosts the Horror in this series is mostly of a psychological nature. A sense of dread gradually build up even though the narrative does not unfold in a linear manner. We get flashbacks, flashbacks with flashbacks, even an episode which goes back to the origin story of the Haunting in the Seventeenth Century. Characters also dream when they are possessed by ghosts or even when they are ghosts themselves they are caught in recursive memories akin to timeslips or time-loops. This is very much a Gothic drama and while it does drag at times (and perhaps could have lost an episode) it is an impressive and worthwhile attempt at adapting The Turn Of The Screw for the screen. The Showrunner is Mike Flanagan who Directs/Writes the first episode. Nine episodes on Netflix. 8/10.
We've been watching that and I may have to see it all again so I can catch the exact moment when XXX happens to XXXXX and so on.
 
Brace yourself for true terror... the Runaround Horror Special from 1981:

As if Mike Reid wasn't bad enough, surely the screen's most terrifying Dracula shows up halfway through. One of the prizes is the soundtrack LP for The Shining! The kiddies' favourite, there.

That's the first time I've seen Runaround to my knowledge, I may have as a child but have no recollection, understandable after a few minutes of that now. Reid never struck me as someone who would be fitting for kids' TV and clearly he wasn't. The prizes are quite something.
 
Airing now in Russia is the TV serial SURVIVAL GAME (Igra Na Voizhivanye).

This tells the story of a group of contestants in a reality TV show which involves them being flown to a remote part of Russia and being required to partake in a series of challenges. However, the organisers of the show disappear in unusual circumstances and the contestants are left for themselves as they face a series of real-life terrors....

View attachment 29502

So, it;s like a grittier and more adult Hunger Games - and may have been inspired by false rumours about plans to stage just such a game in Russia a few years back.

This seems to be an ambitious big budget affair - with location shots, nice photography and some decent acting as well as a few stars (which includes Aleksandr Bortich -Russia's woman of the moment). It is being broadcast Monday to Friday every evening.

It's got a bit of everything: wild dogs, psycho local yokels, madness, revenge, apparitions...the lot, and it's full of mystery with a hint of pagan folk horror luring at the back of it. It's brutal in parts though - more so than any Western product would be.

I can see it gathering cult status, much as Lost - which it kind of resembles -did a few years back. It might even make it to the West.

Sounds very similar to the 2013 US series "Siberia" (which itself was a near remake of countless other "reality TV show turns into serial killer/slasher" movies and series). A genre that's really been done to death (no pun intended) over the last few decades.

The 1953 dystopian novel "Seventh Victim", about a televised human hunting show, arguably started this heavily oversubscribed genre.
 
That's the first time I've seen Runaround to my knowledge, I may have as a child but have no recollection, understandable after a few minutes of that now. Reid never struck me as someone who would be fitting for kids' TV and clearly he wasn't. The prizes are quite something.

Rumour had it, the kids had to give the prizes back after the recordings.
 
Sounds very similar to the 2013 US series "Siberia" (which itself was a near remake of countless other "reality TV show turns into serial killer/slasher" movies and series). A genre that's really been done to death (no pun intended) over the last few decades.

The 1953 dystopian novel "Seventh Victim", about a televised human hunting show, arguably started this heavily oversubscribed genre.

You can go back even further to The Most Dangerous Game, filmed in 1932. I've lost count of the number of hunting humans for sport movies and TV shows there have been. A lot of people find that idea very attractive, it appears.
 
La Revolution: A different take on the French Revolution. 1787: Aristocrats turning into "Zombies" and feeding on the ordinary people. At first the Zombies are feral but regain control of their faculties. This isn't happening by chance, a dark conspiracy lies behind it. We have intrigue with a provincial aristocratic family with members behind the plot and others opposed to it. There is also The Brotherhood (Fraternity) which is intent on overthrowing the ancien regime, it is led by a woman, Marianne (Gaia Weiss). Albert Guillotin (Lionel Erdogan) is a "Zombie" on the side of The Brotherhood, he was turned in Louisiana. Some excellent horror scenes, people being eaten alive, decapitations of the Zombies, captives chained out to be preyed on. How the "Zombie" virus is spread through blue blood and it's back story is deftly handled. Very much an adult series. created by Aurélien Molas. Eight episodes on Netflix. 8/10.
 
La Revolution: A different take on the French Revolution. 1787: Aristocrats turning into "Zombies" and feeding on the ordinary people. At first the Zombies are feral but regain control of their faculties. This isn't happening by chance, a dark conspiracy lies behind it. We have intrigue with a provincial aristocratic family with members behind the plot and others opposed to it. There is also The Brotherhood (Fraternity) which is intent on overthrowing the ancien regime, it is led by a woman, Marianne (Gaia Weiss). Albert Guillotin (Lionel Erdogan) is a "Zombie" on the side of The Brotherhood, he was turned in Louisiana. Some excellent horror scenes, people being eaten alive, decapitations of the Zombies, captives chained out to be preyed on. How the "Zombie" virus is spread through blue blood and it's back story is deftly handled. Very much an adult series. created by Aurélien Molas. Eight episodes on Netflix. 8/10.
Which sort of proves that zombie Movies are never really about zombies at all.
 
Evil: David is an Assessor, he investigates reports of miracles, demons and possessions for the RCC. He is assisted by Forensic Psychologist Kristin Bouchard who is an agnostic and by Ben Shakir a technical expert. Cases of possession, not just normal ones bur where a fetus seems to be possessed. Serial Killers who claim to be possessed, an apparent miracle worker whose prophecies turn out to be true. There are Arc stories of an ancient prophecy and another psychologist who appears to be evil incarnate Interesting as some cases turn out to be fraud or delusion, others are not so straightforward and Kristin finds her skepticism challenged. David takes hallucinogens and isn't sure if his visions are from his subconscious or divinely inspired. On Alibi. 8/10.
 
Evil: David is an Assessor, he investigates reports of miracles, demons and possessions for the RCC. He is assisted by Forensic Psychologist Kristin Bouchard who is an agnostic and by Ben Shakir a technical expert. Cases of possession, not just normal ones bur where a fetus seems to be possessed. Serial Killers who claim to be possessed, an apparent miracle worker whose prophecies turn out to be true. There are Arc stories of an ancient prophecy and another psychologist who appears to be evil incarnate Interesting as some cases turn out to be fraud or delusion, others are not so straightforward and Kristin finds her skepticism challenged. David takes hallucinogens and isn't sure if his visions are from his subconscious or divinely inspired. On Alibi. 8/10.
Really enjoyed Evil, but not sure when the next episode is going to be - which is a bit of a bummer as it’s the last of the season!
 
Really enjoyed Evil, but not sure when the next episode is going to be - which is a bit of a bummer as it’s the last of the season!

Alibi showed ep 13 last night, season finale. They'll like reshow the entire season soon. It has been renewed for a second season.
 
Really enjoyed Evil, but not sure when the next episode is going to be - which is a bit of a bummer as it’s the last of the season!
I also enjoyed 'Evil'...I think it will come back on after January.
I recommend all the 'American Horror Story' tales ...there are at least 8 seasons. They can be found on Netflix now.
 
Alibi showed ep 13 last night, season finale. They'll like reshow the entire season soon. It has been renewed for a second season.
Yes I watched it but for some reason I had got it into my head that it was 14 episodes, you are correct that was the season finale. Got it, IMDB lists it as 14 episodes as they list the first episode of season 2 as well. No confirmed air date in the States or here yet.
 
I also enjoyed 'Evil'...I think it will come back on after January.
I recommend all the 'American Horror Story' tales ...there are at least 8 seasons. They can be found on Netflix now.
I started watching American Horror Story and for each season got about half way through and lost interest.
 
I started watching American Horror Story and for each season got about half way through and lost interest.
I found the earlier seasons better than the later ones. I have gotten tired of some of the actors who Ryan Murphy continually casts in his work. For example, Sarah Paulson and Finn Wittrock are both in Ratched. I have seen 3 episodes and am not impressed. The actors tend to play the same types of characters over and over. This may not be the actors’ fault, but can also be due to Ryan Murphy’s writing and directing.
 
Evil: There are Arc stories of an ancient prophecy and another psychologist who appears to be evil incarnate Interesting as some cases turn out to be fraud or delusion, others are not so straightforward
I, too, have watched Evil. I like how the characters are coming together and the arc stories have intrigued me. I hope the second season is as interesting.
 
I found the earlier seasons better than the later ones. I have gotten tired of some of the actors who Ryan Murphy continually casts in his work. For example, Sarah Paulson and Finn Wittrock are both in Ratched. I have seen 3 episodes and am not impressed. The actors tend to play the same types of characters over and over. This may not be the actors’ fault, but can also be due to Ryan Murphy’s writing and directing.
I quite liked the Apocalypse tale....and Asylum and Coven are very well done also.....but I agree that it would be better to mix up the cast more to see new faces.
 
I just started watching “Eli Roth’s History of Horror”. A fun and interesting series set out by sub genres of horror movies and tv. So far I’ve watched the zombie and slasher movies episodes. Many interviews with horror stars, directors, special fx professionals (of course Tom Savini included). Discussions of how horror has evolved. On Shudder. 9/10
 
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