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Horror Films

Deliverance: Horror, Survivalist, maybe even Folk horror, this classic has lost none of it's punch after 50 years. Four men go white water canoeing on a river soon to disappear as a dam is being constructed. For me the standout character is Ed (Jon Voight), he models himself on the survivalist Lewis (Burt Reynolds), maybe even has feelings for him. He is unable to take bow shots at deer though, his facial expressions and his eyes express a lot as he goes through inner turmoil. Lewis is arrogant, doesn't even believe in insurance, his hubris will cost the group dear. Bobby (Ned Beatty) is a clown, he insults the Appalachian locals, when the group do run into trouble his big mouth makes things worse. Drew (Ronny Cox) plays the guitar, he engages a young banjo playing boy in musical duel, the classic dueling Banjos sequence, he he is a reflective type, perhaps his moral compass is too firmly set for his own good. The real horror of the film occurs when Ed and Bobby run into two Hillbilly hunters. But Nature itself provides scenes of existential terror as the canoeists shoot rapids and the woods seem threatening at all times. As Lewis says you can't beat the river. Not a minute is wasted as the narrative unfolds. Directed by John Boorman from a Screenplay by James Dickey (based on his novel). 10/10.

In cinemas for the 50th anniversary of it's release, also turns up on TV but best seen on the Big Screen.
 
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I just watched Flight 7500, it was OK if your expectations aren't too high. A US-Japan flight (astonishingly devoid of any Japanese travellers) starts to experience strange things after some intense turbulence. Kind of a nice twist, although not too original in retrospect. Fairly slow paced, and most of the actual weirdness doesn't happen until towards the end of the film - before then it is mostly watching passengers in their dysfunctional relationships.
 
ramonmercado said:
Deliverance: Horror, Survivalist, maybe even Folk horror, this classic has lost none of it's punch after 50 years. Four men go white water canoeing on a river soon to disappear as a dam is being constructed. For me the standout character is Ed (Jon Voight), he models himself on the survivalist Lewis (Burt Reynolds), maybe even has feelings for him. He is unable to take bow shots at deer though, his facial expressions and his eyes express a lot as he goes through inner turmoil. Lewis is arrogant, doesn't even believe in insurance, his hubris will cost the group dear. Bobby (Ned Beatty) is a clown, he insults the Appalachian locals, when the group do run into trouble his big mouth makes things worse. Drew (Ronny Cox) plays the guitar, he engages a young banjo playing boy in musical duel, the classic dueling Banjos sequence, he he is a reflective type, perhaps his moral compass is too firmly set for his own good. The real horror of the film occurs when Ed and Bobby run into two Hillbilly hunters. But Nature itself provides scenes of existential terror as the canoeists shoot rapids and the woods seem threatening at all times. As Lewis says you can't beat the river. Not a minute is wasted as the narrative unfolds. Directed by John Boorman from a Screenplay by James Dickey (based on his novel). 10/10.

In cinemas for the 50th anniversary of it's release, also turns up on TV but best seen on the Big Screen.
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"Squeal pig!"
 
TangletwigsDeux said:
Let us know what Nope is like - and did that last trailer give too much away or was it a double blind? Im hoping the latter
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The trailer gives nothing away. There were quite a few nods to different tv shows and movies and Hollywood, but they were so quick and I was having some trouble following it.

I may have to watch it more than once. There was some humour and I think there was more that I didn't catch. Keke Palmer (Emerald, OJ's sister) speaks very quickly and Daniel Kaluuya (OJ) is quiet and slower to respond. This difference in the siblings, for me, was oddly disorientating.

Throughout the whole movie, I felt like I was missing SOMETHING. And I felt two steps behind and disorientated the whole time. I have never felt like that watching a movie except ones like Pulp Fiction in which only later can you figure out how everything is related. And I have watched Pulp Fiction several times.

The cinematography is beautiful. The unnamed thing is very different and has its own grace.

I may have spent too much time trying to link all events together, and maybe they aren't. OJ asks the question "Is there such a thing as a bad miracle?" And maybe that's it. There is no "yes" or "no". I didn't see the thing as either good or bad, only that it existed.

The gist of the movie is a brother and sister are trying to run a business as horse wranglers in an industry which no longer needs real horses. Then something sets up its residence at the ranch. Perhaps this is what they need to survive.
 
More Southern Gothic than Horror, still I'll shoehorn it in here.

Where the Crawdads Sing: Society always finds a way to Other people who are a bit different, then it's easy to scapegoat them for crimes which may not have actually been committed. The film is set in 1969 with flashbacks to 1953-55, 1962-63 and 1968. Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jone) meets all of the requirements for being outside of a community's norms, basically raised herself in an isolated cabin surrounded by a marsh and swamp. Her family life was terrible, Angela's Ashes pales in comparison, at least it didn't seem to rain so much in North Carolina. Kra is a self taught naturalist, collects feathers, sketches birds and plants, when the sheriff arrives at her home he wonders if she is a scientist or a witch. She is charged with murdering a man, Chase, who might have fallen to his death, the evidence against her is circumstantial and flimsy. She had been involved with Chase and due to prejudices there is real chance that she might be convicted. Tom Milton (David Strathairn) a retired lawyer becomes her Atticus Finch. It's a complicated tale at times, her love life is tangled, Tate teachers her to read and write but then ghosts her. Beautifully filmed, the bright colours driving away the Gothic shadows when despair seems set to overwhelm the narrative. Great performances from Edgar-Jones, Strathairn and Jojo Regina as young Kya. Directed by Olivia Newman from a screenplay by Lucy Allbar (based on the novel by Delia Owens). 8/10.

In cinemas,
 
ramonmercado said:
More Southern Gothic than Horror, still I'll shoehorn it in here.

Where the Crawdads Sing: Society always finds a way to Other people who are a bit different, then it's easy to scapegoat them for crimes which may not have actually been committed. The film is set in 1969 with flashbacks to 1953-55, 1962-63 and 1968. Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jone) meets all of the requirements for being outside of a community's norms, basically raised herself in an isolated cabin surrounded by a marsh and swamp. Her family life was terrible, Angela's Ashes pales in comparison, at least it didn't seem to rain so much in North Carolina. Kra is a self taught naturalist, collects feathers, sketches birds and plants, when the sheriff arrives at her home he wonders if she is a scientist or a witch. She is charged with murdering a man, Chase, who might have fallen to his death, the evidence against her is circumstantial and flimsy. She had been involved with Chase and due to prejudices there is real chance that she might be convicted. Tom Milton (David Strathairn) a retired lawyer becomes her Atticus Finch. It's a complicated tale at times, her love life is tangled, Tate teachers her to read and write but then ghosts her. Beautifully filmed, the bright colours driving away the Gothic shadows when despair seems set to overwhelm the narrative. Great performances from Edgar-Jones, Strathairn and Jojo Regina as young Kya. Directed by Olivia Newman from a screenplay by Lucy Allbar (based on the novel by Delia Owens). 8/10.

In cinemas,
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Yes I saw this a couple of weeks ago. The setting is beautiful. Oddly, I didn't see it as horror.

I was kind of disappointed that the ending seemed to be rushed just to give people a clear answer. I don't think we really needed to know the answer. I saw it as a story of how society treats people it labels as "other".
 
brownmane said:
Yes I saw this a couple of weeks ago. The setting is beautiful. Oddly, I didn't see it as horror.

I was kind of disappointed that the ending seemed to be rushed just to give people a clear answer. I don't think we really needed to know the answer. I saw it as a story of how society treats people it labels as "other".
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I saw it about a year ago and was disappointed with the ending too. I also find the modern habit of jumping around in time infuriating, it seems that no-one is capable of telling a story from beginning to end these days. As an occasional artistic device it is acceptable, but it has become routine.
 
SimonBurchell said:
I saw it about a year ago and was disappointed with the ending too. I also find the modern habit of jumping around in time infuriating, it seems that no-one is capable of telling a story from beginning to end these days. As an occasional artistic device it is acceptable, but it has become routine.
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And if you really pay attention to details in the movie, the answer is there. That part of the storytelling was well done. I hate that stories are dumbed down to give people answers, rather than allowing them to think. I knew what it was by the time they finished the trial.
 
brownmane said:
Yes I saw this a couple of weeks ago. The setting is beautiful. Oddly, I didn't see it as horror.

I was kind of disappointed that the ending seemed to be rushed just to give people a clear answer. I don't think we really needed to know the answer. I saw it as a story of how society treats people it labels as "other".
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Not really horror, as I said I shoe-horned it in! Maybe we need a Southern Gothic Thread?

I was happy with the final reveal but as you say the clues were all there. BI agree the end sequence was rather rushed.
 
blessmycottonsocks said:
Last night's dose of late night horror was the 2014 movie "Last Shift" on Prime.

A rookie female cop is tasked with staying at a decommissioned police station overnight and to wait for a haz-chem team to collect some dangerous substances in the morning.
Trouble is that the old police outpost has had a very troubled past and some of its erstwhile residents, both dead cops and criminals are still very much active.
It employs quite a few horror clichés, but is extremely atmospheric and unsettling throughout.
A clever twist momentarily left me feeling disorientated.
A solid 8/10.

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That sounds like my cup of tea, thanks for the recommendation.
 
SimonBurchell said:
Apparently the film Polaroid, about a cursed camera, has been removed from Netflix after a receiving a 0% review score - the article didn't say how many reviews or how long it had been up. Anyone seen it?

Edit:
Aha, I see Ramonmercado reviewed it:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.php?threads/horror-films.59441/post-1932709
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Here's a link to the article on The Independent:
Netflix UK set to remove ‘worst horror film ever made’ with 0 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score
 
ramonmercado said:
Maybe more Horror than SF.

Dark Encounter Alien abduction film with a twist. Eight year old Maisie disappears from her home without trace,.A year later, a memorial meeting is held at her school. Afterwards an acrimonious extended family gathering takes place. Strange lights appear in the sky and some of the family go to investigate. In the woods other lights appear and have strange effects on people and birds, their truck loses power. Another member of the family vanishes.They return to the house where electric toys start working , ights, radio go on and off, lights shine through windows. The house is literally under siege, Tension and paranoia build as the narrative unfolds in this dark Close Encounter Of The Third Kind. The different shades and intensities of light are used to good effect, some just illuminating/dazzling,others imposing mind control on people as a mysterious mist also enters the house. There are time slips of the mental variety which allow secrets to be uncovered. An interesting plot twist sends one aspect of the plot off in an unexpected direction. An important lesson is imparted though: if you flee a house to get away from ETs then remember to drop your axe if you want passing cars to stop and help you. Written and directed by Carl Straithie. Streaming at: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dark-encounter 7/10.
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I watched this last night. Starts off as a great, indeed terrifying, UFO film with plenty of influence from Close Encounters, Signs, Interstellar, Knowing etc. The twist at the end took the film down a completely unexpected route, but unfortunately it was a depressing and sordid one. Nevertheless, the acting was good and the journey was thrilling even if I didn't like the destination.
 
Mad God: Horror/SF, The last Man (Alex Cox) sends The Assassin down to a hellish world, descending via a diving bell, a ruined city landscape is reached. Travelling past mutants and monsters The Assassin is intent on setting off a bomb to destroy the rulers of this Hell if not the world itself. Very much Steam Punk in style with many disturbing images of torture, death and warfare. mostly Stop=Motion animation with minor live action sequences. Some bizarre humourous scenes leaven the horror a little. Difficult to work out what is really happening at times but this is a visual extravaganza worth watch. A truly experimental Horror/Science Fiction film created over a period of 30 years, written, produced, and directed by Phil Tippet. 8/10.

In cinemas.
 
ramonmercado said:
Neverlake: This could have been a very good horror film but s left down by pacing, especially in the middle act. A girl arrives in Tuscany, travelling from her US boarding school to visit her father who has carried out Archaeological work at an Etruscan site in a lake for the past 20 years. She meets some strange children who tell her that the spurits of the Etruscan's are disturbed because their statues have been removed.

This is a ghost story but also contains a real life saga which is far more terrifying .

Worth watching.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3301196/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
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Tonight's viewing was Neverlake. A little slow, low budget with some mediocre acting that was somehow endearing, it kind of reminded me of 1970s horror films. Another one of those films set in a foreign country where you hardly see any natives and everyone speaks English. That said, whilst it was not always riveting, I did indeed find it worth watching. I agree that the "real world" plotline was far more horrific than the supernatural elements.
 
SimonBurchell said:
Tonight's viewing was Neverlake. A little slow, low budget with some mediocre acting that was somehow endearing, it kind of reminded me of 1970s horror films. Another one of those films set in a foreign country where you hardly see any natives and everyone speaks English. That said, whilst it was not always riveting, I did indeed find it worth watching. I agree that the "real world" plotline was far more horrific than the supernatural elements.
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This has been sitting on my watch list for a while. I keep thinking, 'Should I?,' and then watching something else.
 
I See You (2019) on Netflix.

A curious psychological horror. Set against a background of a serial child abductor and murderer, the chief detective on the case lives in a dysfunctional household, torn apart by his wife's affair.
Weird shit starts to happen in the house - cutlery goes missing and ends up in the tumble dryer, photos disappear from the wall and the TV and record player seem to have a life of their own. Classic poltergeist activity you would think.
The movie blindsides the viewer (me included) though with a major twist half-way through and there are some almost Hitchcockian touches, in replaying scenes from different perspectives.
Can't say much more without resorting to spoilers, so I'll simply put one clue word behind a spoiler here, if you're interested:

"Phrogging!"

It was only after the titles rolled that I thought to myself that some plot elements didn't quite add up.
Overall though, a very entertaining twisty-turny and occasionally make-you-jump slab of psychological/mystery/horror.
7/10.

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ramonmercado said:
Deliverance: Horror, Survivalist, maybe even Folk horror, this classic has lost none of it's punch after 50 years. Four men go white water canoeing on a river soon to disappear as a dam is being constructed. For me the standout character is Ed (Jon Voight), he models himself on the survivalist Lewis (Burt Reynolds), maybe even has feelings for him. He is unable to take bow shots at deer though, his facial expressions and his eyes express a lot as he goes through inner turmoil. Lewis is arrogant, doesn't even believe in insurance, his hubris will cost the group dear. Bobby (Ned Beatty) is a clown, he insults the Appalachian locals, when the group do run into trouble his big mouth makes things worse. Drew (Ronny Cox) plays the guitar, he engages a young banjo playing boy in musical duel, the classic dueling Banjos sequence, he he is a reflective type, perhaps his moral compass is too firmly set for his own good. The real horror of the film occurs when Ed and Bobby run into two Hillbilly hunters. But Nature itself provides scenes of existential terror as the canoeists shoot rapids and the woods seem threatening at all times. As Lewis says you can't beat the river. Not a minute is wasted as the narrative unfolds. Directed by John Boorman from a Screenplay by James Dickey (based on his novel). 10/10.

In cinemas for the 50th anniversary of it's release, also turns up on TV but best seen on the Big Screen.
Click to expand...

Interesting article about Deliverance and the broader Southern Gothic-Horror film genre.

John Boorman's film about an outward-bound trip gone wrong was one of the most unnerving of the 1970s. Fifty years on, Adam Scovell talks to Boorman and explores its meaning.

Based on James Dickey's best-selling novel, Deliverance (1972) marked a highpoint in the work of British director Sir John Boorman. Having made the successful jump to Hollywood several years before, Boorman directed some of the strongest films of the period. In particular, Point Blank (1967) and Hell in the Pacific (1968) confirmed him as a director of note in the 1960s. Boorman went on to have a highly successful career, his films littered with prizes, while he received a Bafta fellowship in 2004 and, earlier this year, a knighthood. Yet Deliverance, released in the US 50 years ago this weekend, is the work that stands out in his varied and accomplished catalogue of work, not simply for its qualities but as one of the most controversial and unnerving films of the 1970s.
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It centres on four city boys on an outdoor weekend around the fictional Cahulawassee River (really Georgia's Chattooga River) in the Appalachian mountains. Lewis (Burt Reynolds) is the group’s natural leader, determined to take the other three away from their more usual golf courses to face the forces of nature. The river and its surrounding area are about to be flooded for a dam. Ed (Jon Voight) looks up to Lewis' machismo, while Bobby (Ned Beatty) and Drew (Ronny Cox) are perplexed and amused by the trip, as well as ignorant of the dangers of the landscape and condescending to the local mountain community. They drop off their cars and take to the water, in spite of warnings about the perilous rapids. What follows for the four men is a brutal weekend of survival, not simply facing off against the landscape, but also several locals, who are far from welcoming. ...

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220727-how-rural-horror-deliverance-set-a-controversial-trend
 
Maniac Tales: Anthology film set in New York but filmed in Spain. In the framing sequence, Juan, an immigrant fleeing from ICE is offered a job as a doorman/janitor in an apartment building. It has a variety of eccentric tenants but one of them, a screenwriter, is missing. There is a reward for the (also missing) manuscript of the last episode of the TV horror series she was writing. As things get weirder in the building Juan decides to watch other episodes in the horror series. We see burglars who just want to hang out finding a skull and getting a Monkey's Paw style wish; a yiung girls is used as bait to track down her sister's killer; a conman trying to cheat older women who he meets on dates suffers a grim setback; a real estate agent makes an odd discovery in a basement. Quite gruesome and gory action as peopke chopped up meet the undead, strange relatives and are devoured by a monster. Not for the squeamish. Well worth watching especially the Cimbeline vigilante/revenge story which was was shot digitally and then animated using interpolated rotoscope. Directed by Denise Castro ("Skull of Desire" segment), Enrique García ("The Perfect Moment" segment), Abdelatif Hwidar ("The Visit" segment)., Kike Mesa ("Zimbelin" segment), Rodrigo Sancho, (main segment); Written by Enrique García, Salva Martos Cortés, Kike Mesa, Lluís Segura. On Netflix. 7/10.
 
Just watched The Resort (2021) on Prime Video.

Four friends with an interest in the paranormal visit an abandoned hotel complex on one of the minor Hawaiian islands, with the goal of finding some evidence behind the legend of the "half-faced girl".
The premise drew me in and I was impressed with how the atmosphere built slowly but surely.
The handful of make-you-jump moments are delivered just off-cue, which is always an impressive feat for a director to pull off. When the gore comes, it is quite effective.
Ruined slightly by gross overuse of strobe lighting in the final quarter.
Still worth a watch though and overall maybe a 6.5/10 from me.

The-Resort-movie-film-horror-paranormal-ghost-Hawaii-2021-poster.jpg
 
I was in the car wash yesterday and as usual I wondered why no one has made use of one in a horror flick. The environment just calls for supernatural beasts emerging through the spray and the brushes.
 
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