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Blasphemy? ..
On the 13th of October, The Exorcist remake will be released but will it be as good as the 1973 classic horror movie ?
I have my doubts but time will tell ..

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I don't think it will be as fear invoking as the original. The times are different. People in the '70's were more involved in mainstream religion and believed in the devil being actively involved in events of the day (satanic panic, witchcraft was seen as sacrilegious, etc).

I often wonder why so much mainstream horror movies involve Catholic symbolism and beliefs. These images don't really mean anything to others who have different beliefs.
 
M3GAN: SF/Horror thriller. The dangerous/demon doll is a common trope but M3GAN is Chucky on speed. Gemma (Allison Williams) is a roboticiist working for high tech company Funki, the company has problems with it's "intelligent doll" sales being outperformed by cheaper knock offs. Gemma is working on a humanoid AI companion doll but her boss David (Ronny Chieng) wants her to develop a cheaper "intelligent doll". After her sister and brother in law are killed in a car crash Gemma becomes guardian to her 10 year old niece Cady (Violet McGraw). Gemma finishes her AI doll project, M3gan, Cady quickly bonds with M3gan, it's AI learning and improvement programmes allowing it to adapt to the girl's nerds. David is convinced of M3gan's potential and further development is approved. There are warning signs, Cady's over-attachment to the doll. this worries her therapist; M3gan being too protective to Cady. Soon we see that M3gan doesn't turn itself off as ordered. This is a gruesome and disturbing film as the killer doll sets off on it's path of mayhem. It's first victims being an aggressive dog and a toxic neighbour, it's also a dab hand when it comes to dealing with school bullies. Most of the time the doll is actually acted by 10 year old Amie Donald, her movements are convincing, especially dance routines, a lot of the menace though comes from Jenna Davis who provides the voice. There are also much needed moments of comedy when M3gan (Jenna) sings lullabies to Cady. The constant learning and adaptation abilities allows M3gan to become a frighteningly effective hunter-killer. I won't go into M3gan's many murder methods but (if you're squeamish) you will likely find yourself turning from the screen in anguish on occasion. Suffice to say that a nailgun has several uses. This is more than a cautionary tale about the dangers of AI, it's a highly entertaining horror film. Move over Chucky! Directed by Gerard Johnstone, written by Akela Cooper. 8/10.


In cinemas.
 
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Sisters ( Russia, 2022) has been called post-horror or `elevated hiorror`. The star of it is Irina Starshenbaum who has formed the romantic lead of many a Russian film these last few years. (Western viewers may have caught her in the science fiction flick Attraction, from 2016).

Starhenbaum is also an early vocal opponent of the invasion of Ukraine and has caught some flack for this. Fortunately, this has not ended her career for Sisters is the most serious, adult film that she has yet been involved with. It aims to focus awareness on domestic violence agaisnt women in Russia ( hardly a cause celebre there) -and its release this November was made to coincide with International Day to Oppose Violence Against Women.

Yet it is also a horror miovie, with some supoernatural elements.

Anya is a woman with a young son who is attempting to flee her controlling and sometimes aggressive businessman husband (an understated Nikita Efremov). Finding herself locked into her flat she turns to online help and makes contact with a `sisterhood` that throws a lifeline to her. However, it becomes apparent that this sisterhood is one possessed of altogether sinister forces....

The premise does not do justice to this stylish, thoughtful film. It is all about ambience - an ambience brought about by shadowy photography, edgy acting and a great spectral score. There is something of Polanski about it in its sense of paranoia and uncertainty.

Some critics have said that it - literally - demonises the very people who are trying to aid the situation (viz, women's self-help groups) - but I feel that this is an over literal reading of a complex cinematic experience.

If you like slow burner movies that can be watched again and again then this is for you. Mainstream horror fans, if there is such a thing, may well find it too subtle.

sisterrs 1`.jpg
 
I suppose FALL is as much a thriller as a horror film? .. I haven't seen this yet but I love this type of film .. the three students stuck on the ski lift over night, the biker who gets his arm trapped by a boulder, the yuppies who all jump of their boat them realise they can't get back on because no one remembered to put a ladder down ... this time we've got two women trapped on top of a huge tower ..

 
Sisters ( Russia, 2022) has been called post-horror or `elevated hiorror`. The star of it is Irina Starshenbaum who has formed the romantic lead of many a Russian film these last few years. (Western viewers may have caught her in the science fiction flick Attraction, from 2016).

Starhenbaum is also an early vocal opponent of the invasion of Ukraine and has caught some flack for this. Fortunately, this has not ended her career for Sisters is the most serious, adult film that she has yet been involved with. It aims to focus awareness on domestic violence agaisnt women in Russia ( hardly a cause celebre there) -and its release this November was made to coincide with International Day to Oppose Violence Against Women.

Yet it is also a horror miovie, with some supoernatural elements.

Anya is a woman with a young son who is attempting to flee her controlling and sometimes aggressive businessman husband (an understated Nikita Efremov). Finding herself locked into her flat she turns to online help and makes contact with a `sisterhood` that throws a lifeline to her. However, it becomes apparent that this sisterhood is one possessed of altogether sinister forces....

The premise does not do justice to this stylish, thoughtful film. It is all about ambience - an ambience brought about by shadowy photography, edgy acting and a great spectral score. There is something of Polanski about it in its sense of paranoia and uncertainty.

Some critics have said that it - literally - demonises the very people who are trying to aid the situation (viz, women's self-help groups) - but I feel that this is an over literal reading of a complex cinematic experience.

If you like slow burner movies that can be watched again and again then this is for you. Mainstream horror fans, if there is such a thing, may well find it too subtle.

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Sounds interesting - will look out for it. I like a slow burner which can take more than one viewing. No sign of it in the UK yet - will probably take a while to get here. Curiously it has a 5.4/10 on imdb despite having no reviews whatsoever.
 
I started watching a new English horror film last night called Ghost Stories .. I'm only half way through so far, it includes Martin Freeman and comedian Paul Whitehouse as a jaded night watchman (jaded because of a haunted location job), it looks to be low budget .. to be honest I became a bit bored as I'd got half way through the film (hoping it would be a Creepshow style anthology short episodes affair) before I saw a creepy ghost .. it does have a lot of atmosphere though and starts with a bloke who's made it his life work to debunk spiritualists and the paranormal in general .. the way the story's going, I'm expecting he's going to be proven wrong ... or they're going to pull a Bruce Willis and he's going to be the ghost ? ..


Did you ever get to the end?

One hell of a twist!

Ghost Stories is available on BBC iPlayer until 22/02/2023.
 
I suppose FALL is as much a thriller as a horror film? .. I haven't seen this yet but I love this type of film .. the three students stuck on the ski lift over night, the biker who gets his arm trapped by a boulder, the yuppies who all jump of their boat them realise they can't get back on because no one remembered to put a ladder down ... this time we've got two women trapped on top of a huge tower ..

Yes, this is my favourite subgenre of Horror too - although it can be pretty grim. It sometimes get referred to as the `Survival thriller`. I suppose it bears quite a strong relationship to the disaster movie, another interesting subgenre.

Did nobody review `Fall` when it came out? (Last summer wasn't it?) Not even @Ramonmercadio? (Forgive me if you have - I've been out of the loop for some ti me).
 
Yes, this is my favourite subgenre of Horror too - although it can be pretty grim. It sometimes get referred to as the `Survival thriller`. I suppose it bears quite a strong relationship to the disaster movie, another interesting subgenre.

Did nobody review `Fall` when it came out? (Last summer wasn't it?) Not even @Ramonmercadio? (Forgive me if you have - I've been out of the loop for some ti me).

I missed it!
 
Watched Poltergeist last night for the first time probably since I was a teenager. Loved it. From the remote control war with the neighbour, the Star Wars toys in the children's room. That horrible tree and clown (what were the parents thinking?). The fabulous psychic lady and the argh bits in the swimming pool and garden. Arghh!
 
Knock at the Cabin: Four strangers turn up at an isolated cabin in the woods. The inhabitants are a gay couple and their adopted daughter. The strangers bring a grim message: the family mist agree among themselves that one will die to save the rest of humanity. Otherwise there will be tsumami ,earthquakes, planes will fall from the sky. plagues. on the TV there is evidence that some of this is actually occurring but are the strangers crazed? Members of a cult? They imprison the family. As the fathers refuse to make a choice, the strangers show how they are prepared to go, sacrificing one of their own in an attempt to force the family to make a decision. This is very much a religious Apocalypse facing the world, akin to Abraham's sacrifice but no ram is conveniently appearing. Shyamalan makes this film his own with shot of characters framed in windows and doors, passing by windows, sunlight shining in when a door is opened illuminating the cabin Much of the the film takes place within the cabin, as the fathers defend it from attack, the strangers relate their tales, tie up the fathers. Violence and gory deaths, permeate the narrative. though much of it is suggested or occurs off screen it is still disturbing. Most of the horror content is psychological as we await decisions, the tension mounts and the question remains as to who will die next. Dave Bautista puts in a great performance as the leader of the strangers as does Kristin Cui portraying the little girl. Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 8/10.

In cinemas.
 
Knock at the Cabin: Four strangers turn up at an isolated cabin in the woods. The inhabitants are a gay couple and their adopted daughter. The strangers bring a grim message: the family mist agree among themselves that one will die to save the rest of humanity. Otherwise there will be tsumami ,earthquakes, planes will fall from the sky. plagues. on the TV there is evidence that some of this is actually occurring but are the strangers crazed? Members of a cult? They imprison the family. As the fathers refuse to make a choice, the strangers show how they are prepared to go, sacrificing one of their own in an attempt to force the family to make a decision. This is very much a religious Apocalypse facing the world, akin to Abraham's sacrifice but no ram is conveniently appearing. Shyamalan makes this film his own with shot of characters framed in windows and doors, passing by windows, sunlight shining in when a door is opened illuminating the cabin Much of the the film takes place within the cabin, as the fathers defend it from attack, the strangers relate their tales, tie up the fathers. Violence and gory deaths, permeate the narrative. though much of it is suggested or occurs off screen it is still disturbing. Most of the horror content is psychological as we await decisions, the tension mounts and the question remains as to who will die next. Dave Bautista puts in a great performance as the leader of the strangers as does Kristin Cui portraying the little girl. Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 8/10.

In cinemas.
Based on the novel "The Cabin at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay. If anyone is interested in reading the book as well.
 
There are some spoilers after this extract so be warned!

In Knock at the Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan’s Twist is the Lack of a Twist​

Jonathan Russell Clark on the Adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s Novel​


In Knock at the Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s bestselling novel The Cabin at the End of the World, the narrative crafted by a novelist is overtaken by the more conventional hands of a Hollywood director. The result is a bit complicated to grapple with: some of the issues I had with the novel are remedied in the film version, but in doing so the movie eschews the murkier, more complex finale Tremblay designed.

In terms of storytelling instinct, Shyamalan and Tremblay are different breeds. Tremblay asks questions; Shyamalan answers them. Shyamalan likes plot twists; Tremblay likes complication and escalation. Tremblay’s is an uncertain god worthy of deep skepticism; Shyamalan’s leaves zero ambiguity as to what transpired.

But here’s the thing: I think I like Shyamalan’s version better.

In both versions, the setup is the same: a family on vacation in a cabin in the woods is approached by four strangers wielding strange weapons who claim that unless the family chooses one of its members to die and—even worse—actually does the killing themselves, the world will end in fiery, plague-ridden anguish. The strangers, though initially menacing, turn out to be kind of regular people. Leonard (Dave Bautista), the de facto leader, teaches second grade. Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird) is a nurse. Adriane’s (Abby Quinn) a line cook with two cats named Riff and Raff. The fourth, Redmond (Rupert Grint), is an ex-con who works for the gas company. ...

https://lithub.com/in-knock-at-the-cabin-m-night-shyamalans-twist-is-the-lack-of-a-twist/
 
I suppose FALL is as much a thriller as a horror film? .. I haven't seen this yet but I love this type of film .. the three students stuck on the ski lift over night, the biker who gets his arm trapped by a boulder, the yuppies who all jump of their boat them realise they can't get back on because no one remembered to put a ladder down ... this time we've got two women trapped on top of a huge tower ..

Ah! Now that's jogged my memory ... Yes yes , FALL with that horrible insanely high TV tower in the middle of nowhere (some desert type part of America , Nevada ???) .. The thought of climbing such a thing - shudder - don't think I could do it even if there was a million pounds waiting at the top.

I forgot to review that when I saw it a while back . Very good fillum !! I'm scared of heights ( had to go back down in Blackpool towers lift a few summers ago, it's all glass and I had a panic attack of sorts , horrible!!) , so watching those (obviously insane!!) girls climb up it was quite horrifying.... It had me on the edge of my seat. Good fun ! I

Might do a rewatch.
 
Just watched The Bad Batch , not bad. It's kind of a dystopian type near future , where "undesirables" are sent past the "wall" , which looks to be in the USA/Mexico border somewhere. Obviously the film is making a statement on USA policy of the time. Some really gruesome parts as our heroine trys to make her way in the wastelands with only her standard issue gallon of water , in beating sun and desert scrub as far as the eye can see. Not a situation i would want to be in. Things go from bad to worse when she eventually finds some semblance of what passes for civilisation out in the badlands.

Keano Reeves makes an appearance as an unusual Cult leader type. Well worth a watch.

 
I need another good fillum before bed... Going to pick a random page in this epic 100+ page thread and choose a fil m off it . What would I do without this forum, such good rec's for all my watching and reading needs :)
 

Everything I've looked at and liked the sound of from my first few random picks off the early pages of this thread are not avail on my online player.... So going for Grace Jones being Iconic AF in " Vamp". Perfect role for her. 80s vintage comedy/horror. Seen before but not since the 90s.
 
Heh- managed to watch Blood of the Vampire the other day on YouTube; a strange British film with a kind of pseudoscientific 'explanation' for vampirism. Donald Wolfit is a doctor who is experimenting with blood types and blood transfusions, with gory results.

Makes me wonder exactly how they discovered blood types in the old days.
 
This oddly titled film looks intriguing from the trailer, tapping into childhood fear big time:
Skinamarink (2022) is now on Shudder.

With no real plot, the whole thing plays out like a half remembered nightmare that time you woke up as a kid to find your parents missing and all the windows have vanished!

The images are fuzzy. Sound distorted (most of the kids dialogue is subtitled) so the whole thing relies on atmosphere. Needless to say it's a very divisive film. It either works for you, or you end up bailing after 20 minutes in sheer boredom. Thankfully I was nearer the former, although apart from one or two bits, I didn't find it particularly scary.

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