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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 9, 2015 13:28:36 GMT -5
It was Shax's suggestion that caused me to track down the uninvited and I've been waiting for this month to finally view it, but first I have another omission in my horror catalog: The Omen. I've read about it countless times so I'm aware of the basic plot and can recognize allusions to it in other books and films but I've never actually seen it for some reason. I hope you mean the Gregory Peck original. Enjoy. Good and spooky. Much imitated since it came out. '76, '77? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 9, 2015 13:43:59 GMT -5
It was Shax's suggestion that caused me to track down the uninvited and I've been waiting for this month to finally view it, but first I have another omission in my horror catalog: The Omen. I've read about it countless times so I'm aware of the basic plot and can recognize allusions to it in other books and films but I've never actually seen it for some reason. I hope you mean the Gregory Peck original. Enjoy. Good and spooky. Much imitated since it came out. '76, '77? Definitely the original, and I plan on watching Rosemary's Baby as well. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 9, 2015 15:30:20 GMT -5
I have to say, I didn't enjoy the Omen as much as I thought I would; I had read and heard that it was in the same league as the Exorcist but there's no way I'd rate it that high. There was some great acting, specifically from Peck, but it lacked subtlety and didn't really give us a good sense of mood which I think is key to a good horror movie. It certainly rates higher than the slew of slashers that would sadly come to define horror from the late 70's to today but that's not saying much.
I'm hoping I enjoy Rosemary's Baby more.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 9, 2015 17:53:20 GMT -5
I definitely enjoyed Rosemary's Baby much more than the Omen on just about every level. Though it had a much more normal feel to it with most of the film taking place within the confines of their bright, white apartment it feels like a thin veneer that harbors something more threatening just underneath. It just seems too perfect, and that unnerves you right from the start even before you start to really see the weirdness of the neighbors.
The best part is that Polanski perfectly plays our own notions of horror and suspense against us to create the eerie feel of his film. He tells us from the start that this is an apartment building with a storied past, but what first feels like an unneeded info dump quickly becomes a catalyst for the audience's imagination; you hear a creak and you think it's a monster and a sideways glance from a neighbor becomes an insidious plot(which of course it is, but he doesn't need to take the time to show us because he knows we already saw it in our minds).
On top of that we get some fantastic shadow play between the gauzy brightness of the lights and the shadows that naturally inhabit an apartment made only of twists, turns and alcoves. And Mia Farrow is amazing, so much of the terror is sold by the widening of her eyes and the slight tremor of her voice. Definitely one of the best performances I've ever seen.
Over all I think it lacks the in your face terror of say the Exorcist, but it's subdued nature is plenty unnerving.
I remember reading about a mini series with Zoe Saldana, I never saw it but I might need to track that down as I love seeing how different people tackle the same story.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 9, 2015 18:53:40 GMT -5
My final film of the day is the Mystery of the Wax Museum. I've seen both the Vincent Price 1953 version and its 2005 remake but never the original, it's not as down right creepy as the 1953 version and thankfully has none of the gratuitous gore of the 2005 film but it's not with out its charm. I think what I like most about it though is its early technicolor print, it's beautifully done and gives it a very unique look.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Oct 10, 2015 10:42:18 GMT -5
My final film of the day is the Mystery of the Wax Museum. I've seen both the Vincent Price 1953 version and its 2005 remake but never the original, it's not as down right creepy as the 1953 version and thankfully has none of the gratuitous gore of the 2005 film but it's not with out its charm. I think what I like most about it though is its early technicolor print, it's beautifully done and gives it a very unique look. Have you seen Doctor X yet? |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 10, 2015 11:01:58 GMT -5
My final film of the day is the Mystery of the Wax Museum. I've seen both the Vincent Price 1953 version and its 2005 remake but never the original, it's not as down right creepy as the 1953 version and thankfully has none of the gratuitous gore of the 2005 film but it's not with out its charm. I think what I like most about it though is its early technicolor print, it's beautifully done and gives it a very unique look. Have you seen Doctor X yet? It was a two pack funnily enough, so I'll be watching that next. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Oct 11, 2015 9:11:55 GMT -5
Major victory for me today. My 7 year old is scared of just about everything. Last night, we went to the drive in to watch a double feature of Hotel Transylvania 2 and Ghostbusters. Before Ghostbusters even started, she had such anxiety that we had to go home.
Today, I guilt-tripped her into trying Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein with me. She was terrified to try it, but she felt so bad about last night that she gave it a go, sobbing through the entire beginning. Finally, she figured out that the film wasn't actually scary. I explained to her that, in movies like that one, you always knew when the monster was coming, and that there was no blood. Soon, she was laughing along with me and looking forward to seeing the other monsters appear. In fact, I'm glad they actually worked one blood sucking and one death into the film because, after those happened, I could explain to my daughter that she had now seen all the bad stuff that actually happens in the classic horror films.
This was a perfect primer. She is considering watching more with me now!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2015 11:41:57 GMT -5
Watched Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed this morning...probably the best Frankenstein film in the Hammer film series beautifully shot by Terence Fisher and starring the always reliable Peter Cushing...with by far his most ruthless take on the character.
Tonight: Brides of Dracula.
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Post by Prince Hal on Oct 11, 2015 11:53:42 GMT -5
Major victory for me today. My 7 year old is scared of just about everything. Last night, we went to the drive in to watch a double feature of Hotel Transylvania 2 and Ghostbusters. Before Ghostbusters even started, she had such anxiety that we had to go home. Today, I guilt-tripped her into trying Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein with me. She was terrified to try it, but she felt so bad about last night that she gave it a go, sobbing through the entire beginning. Finally, she figured out that the film wasn't actually scary. I explained to her that, in movies like that one, you always knew when the monster was coming, and that there was no blood. Soon, she was laughing along with me and looking forward to seeing the other monsters appear. In fact, I'm glad they actually worked one blood sucking and one death into the film because, after those happened, I could explain to my daughter that she had now seen all the bad stuff that actually happens in the classic horror films. This was a perfect primer. She is considering watching more with me now! Now try Hold That Ghost. My kids loved it when they were little, and still do, despite their advanced ages. Also, one you might enjoy is The Time of Their Lives, a unique A and C movie in that they don't really operate as a team. It's also a time-travel story set in Revolutionary times. Not by any means a horror film, but certainly a lighthearted ghost story. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 11, 2015 17:21:16 GMT -5
Major victory for me today. My 7 year old is scared of just about everything. Last night, we went to the drive in to watch a double feature of Hotel Transylvania 2 and Ghostbusters. Before Ghostbusters even started, she had such anxiety that we had to go home. Today, I guilt-tripped her into trying Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein with me. She was terrified to try it, but she felt so bad about last night that she gave it a go, sobbing through the entire beginning. Finally, she figured out that the film wasn't actually scary. I explained to her that, in movies like that one, you always knew when the monster was coming, and that there was no blood. Soon, she was laughing along with me and looking forward to seeing the other monsters appear. In fact, I'm glad they actually worked one blood sucking and one death into the film because, after those happened, I could explain to my daughter that she had now seen all the bad stuff that actually happens in the classic horror films. This was a perfect primer. She is considering watching more with me now! That's awesome man, I hope you have good luck in introducing her to other classics. I think the Universal films are great primers for that, and I hope you guys have a blast when you finally get to share those together; some of my favorite memories of my grandfather are centered around watching the Universal monster movies so they really are great family films. |
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Post by coke & comics on Oct 12, 2015 3:57:09 GMT -5
Well into the month and I've been slacking on this. Got a new computer, had a project to take care of, and a lot of superhero TV shows just made their way to Netflix.
Haven't had time to watch a movie of late.
Will get to a couple.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 14, 2015 15:28:04 GMT -5
I watched Doctor X today and it was a lot of fun, it had a little more comedy than I was expecting and until the end it felt more like a traditional murder mystery than a horror film but it had a fun reveal at the end and I loved the scene with the reporter and the skeleton! Over all, once again the most striking part of the film was the coloring; this early technicolor process gives you everything that's great about black and white films(the beautiful contrast between the pearlescent light sources and the deep black of the shadows) with the definition that color brings. It's a beautiful look that I wish more films had.
And Mad Monster party is a great choice Shax, I love that film!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Oct 14, 2015 15:43:57 GMT -5
And Mad Monster party is a great choice Shax, I love that film! Having never seen it as a kid, it was an acquired taste for me, but now I can't get enough of it. Just ordered the animated prequel, in fact: Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters  Still can't decide, after all these viewings, whether or not Phyllis Diller is trying not to be funny. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 14, 2015 16:54:56 GMT -5
And Mad Monster party is a great choice Shax, I love that film! Having never seen it as a kid, it was an acquired taste for me, but now I can't get enough of it. Just ordered the animated prequel, in fact: Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters Still can't decide, after all these viewings, whether or not Phyllis Diller is trying not to be funny. It was one of my favorites growing up, the Disney Channel used to show all the old Halloween specials all through October growing up so I saw a lot of those old gems from the 60's and 70's. I've never heard of the prequel before so I might need to check it out. |
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