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Post by loverofbeers on Apr 3, 2013 21:36:02 GMT -5
Alright, I rode a tidal wave of the undead to victory last month, so I set the theme for April. I debated between three ideas: The 1980s, Film Franchises, and Monster Mash Month (All monsters, all the time). But I watched much Horror last month, and want to watch a wider variety of movies this month. Here goes. Film Franchises will consist of any movie that spawned at least three movies including sequels, prequels, and remakes. Examples are not limited to, but include Universal's Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and Creature from the Black Lagoon films, Hammer's Dracula and Frankenstein movies, Cheech and Chong's filmography, James Bond, Scream, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing [from Another World], GI Joe, Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" westerns, Star Trek, Dirty Harry, Once Upon a Time in China, Paranormal Activity, Halloween, Harry and Kumar, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Terminator movies, Rambo, Phantasm, Spider-Man, Batman, Child's Play, Leprechaun, Super Man, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13, Star Wars, Hellraiser, Rocky, Naschy's Werewolf movies, Creepshow, The Godfather, Wrong Turn, Jaws, Indiana Jones, George Romero's Dead films, Saw, The Fly and it's remakes, The Evil Dead flicks, Porky's, Evil Bong, or whatever.... as long as it is at least three movies strong or weak as the case may be. The rules: Non-Horror movies are worth one point. Horror movies count as two points. Either version of April Fool's Day counts for three points. Movies have to be over an hour in length. Honor system at work. Contest ends at midnight on the last day of April, California time. Jipper, feel free to jump in and join, it ain't about winning but an excuse to watch movies and expand our film loving and learning experience. JAS, hope things have settled down for you and your family. Bring it!
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Apr 6, 2013 3:35:56 GMT -5
Thanks LOB, yeah everything's calmed down. I've been up for a few days and was wondering does the franchise only have to have three movies or must the original have spawned three movies?
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Post by jipper on Apr 6, 2013 14:40:46 GMT -5
I love the theme of the without your head site but I was beginning to feel like I was the only one here. Thanks for the invite, I guess this is where everyone has been hiding. I didn't join in the movie contest last month because I didn't think I'd have anything to contribute. I tend to get into moods when I'm strictly watching tv for weeks then I'll all of a sudden do a movie marathon out of nowhere. I was going to post and politely tell everyone that I probably wouldn't be able to contribute. Then I realized that I already had something to contribute. I go to the theater whenever I want to see something but I make it a direct point to go to the theater as often as I can in the month of October for Horror movies for Halloween. The month of December for Holiday films. And of course the month of April which is my birthday and I go to see anything that sparkes my fancy. So my girlfriend and I went this weekend, it being the first weekend in April. I asked her what she wanted to see and she immediately said, Her and her friends have a weird fascination for dinosaurs. So we went to see Jurassic Park in 3D. I saw the movie in theaters with my mom and brother when I was 11 or 12 back in 1993. I've always said it was one of the best movies you'll see in theaters for it's time. I personally have a pet peeve when movies use bad CGI. I'd much rather see a prop made or the movie not be made at all than to see bad CGI in a movie that sticks out like an eyesore. It's the bane of my movie watching existence. I always yell at my tv or whoever will listen that if Jurassic Park can make dinosaurs look real 20 years ago, any modern day movie has no excuse for not being able to do the same. That rant being said, I went into Jurassic Park a little worried the look of the Dinosaurs wouldn't hold up. A lot of time when you haven't watched a movie in years you're sometimes better left with your memory. Re-Watching Jurassic Park took nothing away from the several times that I watched it back in the day. I couldn't quite recapture seeing the dinosaurs for the first time as they pulled their Jeep out into the field beside the Brontosaurus (or whatever they call it these days) but I came very close. Almost no movie that was once 2D and made into 3D is going to have great 3D effects like things flying at the screen. They did do as good of a job as any other 2D movie with the 3D in Jurassic Park. What can I say, I really enjoyed it. I hadn't watched the movie in 10 or 15 years but I got lost in Jurassic Park all over again. Some things I noticed about the movie that I never noticed before was how many good actors the original had in it. It was just lined with actors I recognized from television and film that were probably close to nobodies back then. There may not have been any 20 million dollar actors in it (unless Samuel L. Jackson gets that much) but none the less a long list of good actors. Another thing I noticed for the first time was just how much of a Steven Spielberg feel this movie had about it. As a kid Jurassic Park is more of a thrill than say E.T. and Indiana Jones. Having watched it just yesterday though it has the same exact feel about it that E.T., Indiana Jones and even the Goonies had. I wasn't expecting that. Anyway, we had a great time. I look forward to hopefully rediscovering Jurassic Park again in another 20 years. I'm guessing the dinosaurs will still look better than anything on the SyFy channel. On the way home I found out my girlfriend never watched the third Jurassic Park movie. I couldn't believe this considering her dinosaur obsession. Apparently, like me, she wasn't a fan of the second one, So she never finished the trilogy. I couldn't let this stand. I don't know how everyone else feels but I loved the first one, was disappointed in the second but surprisingly enjoyed the third. So we watched Lost World and, She basically agreed with me about the movies. The second wasn't bad, it just couldn't hold up to the first one. I think we enjoyed the third one as much as we did because the second one was such a disappointment. They all hold up though. No green, eyesore, Incredible Hulk CGI of a dinosaur in the movie. I speak of the two Hulk movies before the Avengers. The Avengers actually had good CGI. Anyway, man, that's my review. We had a Jurassic Park day. I recommend any fan catch it while it's still at a theater near you. If you don't, you'll have to wait for, I had to get that 4th picture in there. I'm not big on watching movies online. Especially new movies. I'd much rather support my local theater. Television I'll watch online all day. They're shorter shows that play much better and I personally think Cable and satellite providers are ripping people off. I like my movies to have better quality than the majority of them do online unless you use Hulu or Netflix. However if you're into online viewing, here are some links you might be interested in. Jurassic Park www.sockshare.com/file/BA4BFB02D6948029#Lost World: Jurassic Park II www.sockshare.com/file/76C0005A09345D14Jurassic Park III www.sockshare.com/file/71CCC64565C501CF
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Post by loverofbeers on Apr 7, 2013 4:47:35 GMT -5
JIP-3
Welcome to whatever this is that I dig doing in my free time and I like your downloaded images and narratives. I feel self-conscience at times when I ramble on about good times and sometimes other stuff. But I have found this two-man competition and forum to post liberating in saying more. I'm not a computer guy and I basically have only commented on forums that were in the Headyverse and the NYT and other news outlets. Basically I have spent less than an hour on Facebook, Friendster, and the ilk in my life. So I really enjoy these competitions, and if I had a beer available (damn my pre-planning skills today!), I would chug it in thirty seconds or much less, and dedicate it to jakeawesomesnake. So an early Cheers! to my competitor of way over a year, my next beer is for you.
I saw Jurassic Park the same year, 1993, at 18 or 19 depending on when it came out that summer. I just don't like Spielberg. I saw Close Encounters on the silver screen and that is one of my earliest film memories. It is on my list for a re-watch after more than thirty (yikes!) years. There are a handful of exceptions but I was bored by ET when it came out in 1983 (third grade for me and Adam Green, we have a number of things in common, a very good man). I gave up on Spielberg when I saw The Flintstones in the theaters, which I suppose he produced whatever that meant back then to the man's movies. Awful fucking movie, one of the biggest turds I ever done seen on the big screen. I am now picking and choosing what I watch of his after skipping his movies for nearly twenty years with the exception of watching 1943 on video in the mid-nineties. I was amazed by Amistad in the last year so now I want to watch Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and a very few other movies. By the way, I love Raiders of the Lost Ark and Poltergeist that may or may not (I say not!!!) have been co-directed by Spielberg, not my guy, Tobe Hooper.
And Jake, The Vengeance Trilogy counts, any Toho giant monster movie, any Gi Joe movie or feature length broadcast cartoon (I'm gonna count a couple of these cartoons), basically whatever you want to justify that makes you happy, or unhappy depending on the movie and your freedom of choice. If Darren Aronofsky had a third film like The Wrestler and Black Swan, it would count. So count what you want, this is still America, kinda barely, the last time I checked. Ah, the curse of a lifetime of being a jaded romantic as I once was labeled.
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Post by jipper on Apr 7, 2013 13:58:23 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome and the Tally. You're not alone in being anti-social media. After a rough break-up four or so years ago, I found my life would be a lot easier without things like, facebook, myspace and sites of that nature. I also had to cancel my cell phone, change my email address and a few other things to get rid of a crazy ex. I found I like my new, less social life a lot better so I kept it that way. It's a lot more relaxing in my opinion.
I've not watched movies (or waited for DVD) just because of who was directing it before. While most people look to see who's in a movie, I look to see who's behind the camera to judge how much I really want to see it. If you didn't like Spielberg just because of Close Encounters & E.T. I'd try and defend him to you. If you didn't like Jurassic Park though, then there' really no defense I can present.
Close Encounters and E.T. are some of his earliest works. E.T. was even geared to a much younger audience. So saying you don't like those is one thing. Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones series is another. They're just both classic to me. I will say that Spielberg has a few sets of movies that all have different feels about them. Jaws, Close Encounters, The Indiana Jones Series, E.T., Jurassic Park, Hook, A.I., War of the Worlds and The Adventures of TinTin all have that Spielberg adventure feel about them. That's the best way I can describe it. Jaws, Close Encounters, Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds have more of a suspense adventure feel while E.T., Hook and Tintin are more of a kids movie adventure feel.
Spielberg's other set of movies what I consider his realistic, non-adventure set of movies. These include, Amistad, Empire of the Sun, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, Munich, War Horse and Lincoln. These are the movies he's tried to win awards with.
While I enjoy both sets of movies, the two sets are completely different. So if you don't like one maybe you'll enjoy the other.
Now if someone on the horror forums would like to convince me that Rob Zombie is a good director and not a one hit wonder who raped the Halloween movies, I'm all ears. ;D
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Post by loverofbeers on Apr 7, 2013 16:35:15 GMT -5
Yeah, I do that. i usually don't care who is in a movie, but there are directors that I avoid like the plague.
I saw Close Encounters when I was five. I did like it a lot, but don't remember much of it and I have wanted to rewatch it since. If the word "Disclosure" is a dog whistle for you, well there is a story about the movie being played in Reagen's White House and what Ronnie said to Spielberg and those in the White House theater. I actually like Spielberg much as an individual, and hope that he knows more than most people realize about "stuff". The fact that he made ET makes me more curious. I would love to pick the man's brain.....
So I liked Close Encounters but ET bored me when I was eight. I was a Star Wars kid and one lone alien and cute kids wasn't going to cut it for me. I should rewatch this movie. It is one of Adam Green's favorites afterall.
I don't hate Jurassic Park, but I am put off by most blockbuster type films as showcases for special effects. This movie has great effects to me but I just never got on board with the characters or probably the plot itself. I am a snob of Big Hollywood efforts. Never saw Titanic or Avatar, if that says anything about me.
I forgot about Empire of the Sun. I liked it the one time I saw it. Visually gorgeous.
I am gay for Abraham Lincoln (straight otherwise, ladies) and have to see this last film of his. Probably very soon.
I had a fun old time watching 1943.
I love Poltergeist but I'm not going to start the who directed the film argument, but as producer Spielberg is more often credited than Tobe Hooper. Following this line of thinking, Spielberg owns the monstrosity known as The Flintstones. So bad, I ran from a director for twenty years.
I don't have the heart to watch the fourth Indy movie because I was a fan of the first three. But that extraterrestrial plot returns for at least a third movie.
Jaws with all the problems Spielberg had with filming and "Bruce" is absolutely perfect for me and that makes me a hypocrite since this was the very first Hollywood summer blockbuster and it changed the way Hollywood makes mega-bucks. Jaws is another of my earliest film memories.
I avoided AI for some reason I don't remember but it had to do with being a huge Kubrick fan. I dunno what it was though.
War of the Worlds? Nah, I saw the trailer and that was painful to my delicate psyche enough.
I have no interest in Hook but am very curios about Tintin as I read a little bit of the strip or books at a young age, and dug the concept.
Amistad made me a bigger fan of those that fought for the equality of the black race in America. A fantastic movie that I recommend to history fans.
War Horse and Munich I would watch as well as some of the other historically based films. The kid adventures, not so much.
Spielberg is talented no doubt. I will be watching some more of his more serious stuff and extraterrestrial stuff sometime.
I don't want to call Rob Zombie a one-trick pony but he is, so far. The Devil's Rejects is perfection for me. House of 1000 corpses was campy fun but limited and Dr. Satan was a dumb idea. Halloween was the drizzling shits and I refuse to watch the sequel. I still need to watch Superbeasto wish I bet I will love, but I'm not to excited about the forthcoming Salem movie, but I will try to watch it in the theater. Yeah rape is a good word for what he did to Michael Myers' character.
Lastly, just like if you find yourself in a Horror situation. Crazy Ex-girlfriends.... Run, run, run, and don't stop running to take a look behind you. Beware of strippers with assault charges is one I learned a long time ago. Yep, I'm a bit of a misogynist at this point, and happily single for five years. I just need to get laid more, and I'm fine without the baggage.
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Post by jipper on Apr 8, 2013 7:38:39 GMT -5
I thought I was a snob of blockbuster movies until I met you sir! I bow down at your snobbish feet. I'd much prefer a low budget or Indy movie to a Hollywood blockbuster, but good is good. While I'll probably never give the new G.I. Joe a chance (The first one was god awful and raped a small piece of my childhood) I'm still unable to resist a good looking blockbuster like Avatar for instance.
You seem to be fairly well versed with Spielberg's works, so I dare not debate any further a man's preferences. As far as Rob Zombie goes, we agree completely. The only thing I'll add is that if you are a fan of the original Halloween franchise, there was a certain bit of enjoyment watching Michael Myers finally get to kill the actress Danielle Harris is Zombie's Halloween 2. The movie was a sin against Christ, or at least John Carpenter. However, Harris played the lead in Halloween 4 & 5 when she was a kid. Though Myers chased her throughout both movies, he didn't get to kill her until the actress played a different character in the remakes. I'm going to stop talking about Rob Zombie now or I'll go on a rant about how horrible an actress his wife is and how she ruined every movie she was in except Devil's Rejects.
Thanks for the advice, especially about the strippers. I think the reason "happily single" men such as yourself finally give in and accept all the relationship baggage is because they want to get laid more. That's something for you to watch out for.
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Apr 8, 2013 7:48:09 GMT -5
I've only seen 2 of Rob Zombie's films: Halloween and The Devil's Rejects and I loved both of them. However I can't really pass judgment on his other three which I heard were bad and good. The only part I didn't like about the Halloween remake was Laurie Strode ,but it was more the character than the actor. I kind of liked how they went the opposite of the original when it came to the ending, since it was more definite ,but when I heard about the sequel I avoided it.
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Post by jipper on Apr 9, 2013 0:56:37 GMT -5
I've only seen 2 of Rob Zombie's films: Halloween and The Devil's Rejects and I loved both of them. However I can't really pass judgment on his other three which I heard were bad and good. The only part I didn't like about the Halloween remake was Laurie Strode ,but it was more the character than the actor. I kind of liked how they went the opposite of the original when it came to the ending, since it was more definite ,but when I heard about the sequel I avoided it. Sorry for making this the Spielberg, Zombie thread but I have to comment on this. In all of Zombie's movies he portrays all the women in them as mindless f__ktoys. That's fine for a movie like Rejects because they're all crazy anyway. For a movie like Halloween, where you need to care about the main character and want her to survive, you kind of need more than a mindless f__ktoy as your lead. Laurie Strode's mother pretty much played the same type of character which was also counter productive. Then again, that's the same character Zombie's wife always plays, just with different levels of crazy.
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Post by loverofbeers on Apr 9, 2013 21:58:54 GMT -5
I have chosen a number of surprising movies to watch first, but the very first movie this month is Horror. It is a testament to how much this next movie impressed me that I am re-watching it again. I don't to that except with porn.
And I am gonna have to at least give my opinion on why John Carpenter's Halloween is genius in the realm of psychology and why "The Shape" is such an effective boogieman character. There is much wisdom in the words "sometimes less is more".
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Post by loverofbeers on Apr 9, 2013 22:30:00 GMT -5
I'll get back to The Shape's greatness but I have to defend Mrs. Zombie. I thought she played her role in The Toolbox Murders very straight and not goofy like a pet raccoon.
SPOILERSPOILERSPOILER The movie starts off on the street in Los Angeles in a rainstorm. Our "lead actress" is shown walking up to a newstand. She interacts with the lady vendor (okay she is nuts, you do see it in her eyes in this scene when she shows her stungun off to the female vendor, but it is very brief flash of insanity). She walks up to her apartment complex, interacts with the doorman, as Angella Bettis walks by briefly. She takes the elevator up to her floor, enters her apartment, pours herself a glass of red wine, and notices that the chain on her door is now swinging freely. Somebody is in her apartment but not in the room with her. She tries to run out her door and the Toolbox Murderer springs from the shadows and smashes her head in with the clawside of the hammer repeatedly. Exit Mrs. Zombie. I thought she was the main character but she is dead by the six minute mark and the movie shifts over to Angela Bettis' character's movie. There was hair clumps on the hammer's claw and much blood. Tobe Hooper rocks! SPOILERSPOILERSPOILERENDS
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Post by jipper on Apr 11, 2013 1:08:14 GMT -5
In all do fairness to Mrs. Zombie, I did not watch Toolbox Murders and all I remember her in are her husbands movies. She may be a better actress than I've seen and it's her husband that ruins her performances. Then again, what do I know. From what I've seen Jennifer Lawrence couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag and she just won an Oscar for best actress. Given, I didn't yet see the movie she won for. Back on topic, Hellraiser is the 80's horror series I remember least. My parents let me watch most anything but Hellraiser was too much for them. So I watched the first couple when I was a little older. Because it wasn't from my childhood, I guess I never really got into them like Halloween or Friday the 13th. So in October I started watching the Hellraiser movies for Halloween. They are on Netflix and I've thought about watching them all since I was a teen. I don't know if it was the time difference or what but I really couldn't get into them. I watch the first one and half of the second one in October. This thread got me interested in watching a horror series. I started to go with Friday the 13th for probably the 10th time. Instead I finished the 2nd Hellraiser. I don't think it's anything worth giving me points for. It was only the last 45 minutes but if I continue with it I'll let you know. You guys better get watching or the new guy might win!
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Apr 12, 2013 3:18:38 GMT -5
I watched a quartet of films that are first in two ways, being the first time I'd ever seen any of them and the first of their respective franchises. Warning spoilers for any movie discussed below, especially the last one.
First I watched Stan Winston's 1988 horror movie (and directorial debut) Pumpkinhead starring Lance Henrikson which is about a dad who summons the evil titular monster to get revenge on a group of people on a road trip who accidentally killed his son. I'd always wanted to see this movie since I was a kid in the rental stores because of the cover and just the name itself and years later I'm glad I did. Thought the acting was passable to good, there were some moments that were a little shaky ,but nothing that really took away from the movie too much and overall it was good. Thought the special effects for Pumpkinhead were great, I thought the cinematography of the countryside looked great, the gore was really good, and I thought the country/ blues soundtrack was great as well. It also actually managed to scare me when Pumpkinhead came out a little quicker than I was expecting during one scene. I liked the concept of how the summoner slowly starts to become more like Pumpkinhead and how they're somewhat intertwined physically.
Second I watched Richard Donner's American-British 1976 horror film The Omen starring Gregory Peck about a man who begins to realize his son is the Antichrist. Some great cinematography of the British countryside, good acting (especially by Peck) although some of the stuff by his wife was a little weak, the gore was good, the ominous Latin choir soundtrack was great, and I thought the Rottweiler's were awesome in their viciousness. Also that scene where Peck's partner gets decapitated by a piece of glass was good stuff and I liked the creepy look on the Satanic nanny's face when she killed Damien's mom. A scene that wasn't too hot though was where Damien knocked off his mom while riding his tricycle, just the way it was shot made it looked like she barely fell and the slow motion didn't help because she had this ridiculous expression on her face. Overall it was a good movie and I enjoyed it.
Third I watched David S. Tenney's 1988 horror film Night of the Demons which is about a group of high schoolers who decide to have a Halloween party at a supposedly haunted/possessed mortuary. Acting was bad, I liked the first person cinematography , the soundtrack (made up of 80's rock and 80's horror electric synth music) was great, the gore was good and in some moments really good, and I thought the demon makeup looked ok. While not a good movie, it was a fun one mainly due to both the soundtrack and the comedy . I thought the ending was funny and kind of out of nowhere. God this movie was so stereotypically 80's and I thought it was kind of refreshing that one of the guys realized something was up and got freaked out when the sort of uptight goth girl started dancing like a maniac.
Finally I watched Robert Harmon's 1986 horror movie The Hitcher starring C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer which is about the protagonist picking up a hitchhiker who turns out to be a killer. The acting was great particularly Hauer as the antagonist and Howell as the protagonist, the cinematography was great, the gore was great, and I thought all the violence was done realistically. God this was a great movie, I liked how Hauer seemed to be chasing the protagonist partially out of wanting revenge for being pushed out of the car after trying to kill him and partially just because he got a thrill out of it. Also liked how even though there were some crazy situations they were still done realistically, I also liked how the protagonist became more and more savvy as the movie went on from being naïve at the beginning to making sure to employ the double tap rule at the end with a shotgun and how you could tell his life was pretty much ruined by this stranger and I liked how magnums were shown to be powerful and loud. Great movie, much better than the sequel which I'd seen before.
JAS-8
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Post by loverofbeers on Apr 12, 2013 15:10:58 GMT -5
First your films.
I have had an interest to watch Night of the Demons for decades but you turned me off. Thank you. i thought it was another maybe fifties black and white movie with giant hairy and scary demon puppets. Big mothers. I wanna see that.
I remember hearing about The Hitcher from my older brother as a kid. High on my list of must-watches for decades. Needless to say, I have to watch this one.
Pumpkinhead came out when I was a younger teen. My neighbor and best-friend at that time (a future competitor for Mr. Arizona or some body building competition) loved this move. I was snobbish to be honest and thought the name and monster were dumb, and for kids, but I was all raging hormones and rebellious, and I was above this movie at the time. This is the period I was watching Eraserhead, Evil Dead 2, The TexasChain Saw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Terror of Tiny Town, Freaks, and the terror of Divine in John Waters Pink Flamingos. I was fifteen. If you say it is good, I'll watch Pumpkinhead.
I never liked The Omen from when I was a young kid maybe of ten and saw it on the USA network of the day. They had great showcases for horror back in the eighties on USA. Even ten years ago, I disliked this movie on re-watching. Kinda boring and I saw it as an ineffective spin-off of the Exorcist-craze of the Seventies along with Amitville Horror which I also haven't seen. I do like the rottie scenes and the baboons running amok scene. The balcony death looked like poo to my young eyes....
"I'll be right back" in a few minutes.
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Apr 12, 2013 16:35:04 GMT -5
Trust me that's exactly what that balcony scene was, like I said I thought it was good overall ,but it isn't great or the masterpiece that its reputation suggests. Don't totally despair there's a 1957 horror movie in black and white alternatively called Night of the Demon or Curse of the Demon so that might be the movie you're looking for.
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