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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 1, 2015 13:10:30 GMT -5
I'm baaaack.
In all seriousness, yesterday I sent an email to my pal in Horror Jake explaining my long absence. I miss these competitions and I miss JAS. Life can be a handful sometimes, and it has been. But it is Halloween month and just like the Undertaker, I am coming out of a long absence from this site to continue my streak or have my worthy competitor take me to Suplex City.
My goal is to watch sixty movies this month. Some long, some extremely short, but covering 1896 until 2015. I start by celebrating the 41st Anniversary today of the premier of possibly my favorite Horror film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre shot in my backyard of Central Texas.
Jake, please join me, and "Beat me if you can, survive if I let you". Cheers! my friend. And it begins.....
The Rules:
Same rules as the original, honor system at work. One point is scored for any horror movie watched. Each movie should be at least an hour long. Exceptions will be made for short, silent films considered full length (pre 1930). Competition ends at 2:00 AM Pacific time on Halloween (November 1st).
JAS, bring it my good man, "Dog will hunt"!
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 1, 2015 15:38:32 GMT -5
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). The saw is family. Off to work.....
LOB 1
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 3, 2015 15:45:03 GMT -5
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Beginning (2007). I dig this prequel to the remake. R. Lee Ermey steals his every scene in this movie. And I am off to work!
LOB-2
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 8, 2015 15:04:13 GMT -5
I will try to post only up to four movies at a time but this post will be five films. I will be watching every movie from the following lists that I can find on Youtube: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_horror_films_of_the_1890sen.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_horror_films_of_the_1900sen.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_horror_films_of_the_1910sFirst I rewatched the first Horror film ever, Georges Méliès' Le Manoir du Diable which has several names including The Devil's Castle from 1896. Next I watched Georges Méliès' Une Nuit Terrible aka A Terrible Night also from 1896. Third was Conjuring a Lady at Robert Houdin's aka Escamotage d'une dame au théâtre Robert Houdin also by Georges Méliès and also from 1896. All the above were French. Now on to England and 1897 with George Albert Smith's remake of Le Manoir du Diable. Then I jumped to the 1970's with Horror Rises from the Tomb. From the mighty Wikipedia: "Horror Rises from the Tomb (Spanish: El espanto surge de la tumba), is a 1972 Spanish horror film starring Jacinto Molina (also known as Paul Naschy) and was directed by Carlos Aured. It was followed by a sequel, Panic Beats.[1] The film introduced Naschy's character of Alaric de Marnac, an executed warlock who returns to life centuries later to wreak his revenge. De Marnac later returned in the sequel". And: "Paul Naschy (born Jacinto Molina Álvarez, September 6, 1934 – November 30, 2009) was a Spanish movie actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures—the Wolfman, Frankenstein's Monster, Count Dracula, the Hunchback, and the Mummy —have earned him recognition as the Spanish Lon Chaney. He had one of the most recognizable faces in Spanish horror film.But Naschy also starred in dozens of action films, historical dramas, crime movies, TV shows and documentaries as well. In addition to acting, Naschy also wrote the screenplays for most of his films and directed a number of them as well. King Juan Carlos I presented Naschy with Spain's Gold Medal Award for Fine Arts in 2001 in honor of his work, the Spanish equivalent of being knighted". LOB-7
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 8, 2015 15:25:37 GMT -5
And I will continue to post the Halloween themed/Horro themed beers I drink this month along with my trying Pumpkin beers which I like more since last year but only if they are high octane, high alcohol by volume (ABV) beers. So far I have had Karbach Brewing Company's Krunkin Pumpkin which I dug from Houston Texas. I also had New Belgium's Pumpkick from Ft. Collins, CO. I dug it less. I also have to post a handful of beers I drank last year in The Fourth Annual Halloween Competition thread. But later.... Cheers! Off to work-Hell and bartending!
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 11, 2015 14:56:20 GMT -5
Weeeeell, another five film post. First I watched The Bewitched Inn (1897) directed by the film pioneer of France, Georges Méliès. Another interesting short from the dawn of film making. Next I watched a favorite of mine, Event Horizon (1997) that melds Horror and sci-fi and the Horror tropes of the demonic house and the ghost ship. This movie is influenced by The Shining and the original and beautiful version of The Haunting, an atmospheric classic. Back to 1897 and The X-Rays aka The X-ray Fiend by George Albert Smith and hailing from England. Fourth I watched Vampyr (1932). From the mighty Wikipedia: "Vampyr (German: Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Grey, "Vampire: the Dream of Allan Grey"; German pronunciation: [vamˈpiːɐ̯]) is a 1932 German–French horror film directed by Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer. The film was written by Dreyer and Christen Jul based on elements from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's collection of supernatural stories In a Glass Darkly. Vampyr was funded by Nicolas de Gunzburg who starred in the film under the name of Julian West among a mostly non-professional cast. Gunzburg plays the role of Allan Grey, a student of the occult who enters the village of Courtempierre, which is under the curse of a vampire. Vampyr was challenging for Dreyer to make as it was his first sound film and had to be recorded in three languages. To overcome this, very little dialogue was used in the film and much of the story is told with silent film-styled title cards. The film was shot entirely on location and to enhance the atmospheric content, Dreyer opted for a washed out, soft focus photographic technique. The audio editing was done in Berlin where the character's voices, sound effects, and score were added to the film. Vampyr had a delayed release in Germany and opened to a generally negative reception from audiences and critics. Dreyer edited the film after its German premiere and it opened to more mixed opinions at its French debut. The film was long considered as a low part in Dreyer's career, but modern critical reception to the film has become much more favorable with critics praising the film's disorienting visual effects and atmosphere." I enjoy the death of one of the villains at the end. Death by milled flour..... Finally I watched Tusk (2014). Again to quote Wikipedia: "Tusk is a 2014 American horror comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, based on a story from his SModcast podcast. The film stars Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Génesis Rodríguez, and Johnny Depp. The film is intended to be the first in Smith's planned True North trilogy". This was my first viewing of a film that was shown at FantasticFest at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar that I missed seeing because I worked my ass off for six days and nights during this film festival and worked harder than I think I ever have before. I enjoyed Tusk as it was truly original and had a scene that harkened back to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre's infamous and macabre dinner scene and the mocking of the victim by The Hitchhiker. Fun and good stuff. I recommend. During these movies I drank two pumpkin beers, both good but I preferred the second one. First I had Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale from Milton, Delaware. The second beer was more interesting. From Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, WI, I enjoyed Whole Hog Limited Edition Pumpkin Ale. Time to watch another two early cinema Horror shorts and get ready for a night of bartending and managing in South Austin. Cheers! LOB-12
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 19, 2015 8:50:31 GMT -5
Well, another five movie posting.
First I watched Tod Browning's 1931 Universal Dracula, I believe the first "all-talkie) Horror film and produced by Carl Laemle. I watched it with the added Philip Glass soundtrack which to me makes it a better film.
Second I watched What We do in the Shadows (2015), my first film on this list from the current year. It was awesome and so much fun. This New Zealand Horror-comedy is a must watch. Too fun....
Third I watched Hammer's Horror of Dracula (1957), one of my favorite Dracula films including Nosferatu. This film features the Horror duo of Peter Cushing and Sir Christopher Lee. We lost Sir Lee this year, so to quote CM Punk on the day of the breaking news a few months ago, Mr. Lee, "Rest in power". Another must watch.
Fourth I watched the overly campy and not great but enjoyable in it's badness, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966). My only note is that the villainess is actually Dr. Frankenstein's grand-daughter.
Last and back to the dawn of cinema, I watched The Astronomer's Dream (1898) directed by the great Georges Méliès. I really dug this short, and it was my first viewing of this film gem.
My next post will feature the Halooweeny beers I have consumed lately, but I am late getting ready for a day at work so Cheers! heathens.
LOB-17
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 21, 2015 13:02:22 GMT -5
Another five movie posting.
First I watched The Hills Have Eyes (1977) from the late great Horror Master Wes Craven. This is my favorite Wes Craven movie. I will probably watch The Last House on the Left, his first movie, before the month ends. Rest In Power Mr. Craven and thank you for the nightmares of a lifetime.
Second I spent time with my special lady (lady friend?) and watched two movies new to her but old favorites of mine. Stanley Kubrick's visually beautiful masterpiece The Shining (1980) is in my top five Horror films of all time list. Naturally I had to share this movie with a great gal.
Third I watched and shared The Wicker Man (1973) with this lovely gal o'mine. She dug and I love "The Citizen Kane of horror films." I also introduced her to the great Christopher Lee's masterful performance as the Lord of Summerisle. Truly a must watch and another beautifully shot classic and top favorite of mine. Rest In Power Mr. Lee.
Fourth I watched The Devil in the Convent aka Le Diable au Couvent (1899) by Georges Méliès. Another new to me early gem from this dawn of films master illusionist. Fun times, good times and a quickie.
Lastly, another Georges Méliès short, and a rather more dull film compared to other films of his. Évocation Spirite aka Summoning the Spirits (1899) will be my last movie from the 19th century unless I find The Miser's Doom by Walter R. Booth from England also from 1899. Looking for that one now. Cheers!, drinking a pre-work Independence Brewing Company Reaper Madness Black IPA from Amy and Rob from my part of town, South Austin. A Cheers! to them and Texas craft beers!
LOB-22
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 22, 2015 14:10:26 GMT -5
Five more films to add.
First is my earliest film from the United States, Faust and Marguerite (1900) by Edwin S. Porter from the Edison Studios. A very basic short Horror film.
Second another short from England, The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901) from the British director pioneer Walter R. Booth. I enjoyed this short more.
Next up is another Hammer classic from England with the greatest Horror duo of actors, Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Lee plays The Monster while Cushing plays a rat bastard villain in the Grand Moff Tarkin tradition, Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) was brilliantly directed by Terence Fisher. This is a must watch. The first visual of the monster's face is truly horrific. Rest In Power Mr. Lee....
Fourth I watched a film with my lady friend last night that I have watched possibly twenty times in a couple of decades. Nosferatu (1922) is the classic German film that was almost erased from film history due to plagerism of the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by F. W. Murnau and stars Max Shreck in my favorite interpretation of a vampire. No romantic villain here, just a disease carrying monstrosity who looks like vermin. I love this silent classic.
Lastly I watched Frankenstein (1931) from Universal. This early American soundie classic was directed by the genius James Whale and produced by Carl Laemle, the head at the time of Universal. Another classic must watch.
And the beat goes on. And the beat goes on.... Dog will hunt!
LOB-27
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 23, 2015 15:34:50 GMT -5
First I watched Bluebeard aka Barbe-bleue (1901) again from the French director Georges Méliès. Wikipedia says: "The film is based on the fairy tale of Bluebeard written by Charles Perrault who also wrote Cinderella.
A sinister aristocrat known as Lord Bluebeard is looking for a beautiful woman to become his wife. Lured by his great riches, many noble families bring their most eligible daughters to meet him, but none of the young women want to marry him, both due to his ghastly appearance and because he has already had seven previous wives - all of whom have mysteriously vanished without a trace. Bluebeard's great wealth, however, persuades one father to give his daughter's hand to him. She has no choice but to marry him, and after a lavish wedding feast she begins her new life in his castle.
One day as Bluebeard is going away on a journey, he entrusts the keys to his castle to her, and warns his wife never to go into a certain room. Caught between the fear of her husband's wrath and her own curiosity, she is unsure of what to do regarding the forbidden chamber. Her curiosity manifests itself in the form of an imp who taunts and mocks her with potential promises that the room might contain, whereas her better judgement comes in the form of a guardian angel, who attempts to dissuade her from entering the locked door.
When her curiosity finally gets the best of her, she realizes that she has placed herself in great danger. She enters the room, Melies at this point builds the suspense by keeping the lighting levels low, making out strange bag shapes. The room is revealed to be a torture chamber and these bags are revealed to be dead bodies; the seven past wives of the murderous Bluebeard hanging on hooks, dripping stale blood on to the floor. The new wife drops the key in her horror, and is stained with dead wives' blood which the wife relentlessly tries to wash off. Later that night she has a dream of seven giant keys haunting her with a sense of Freudian guilt from the dominating presence of Bluebeard. On Bluebeard's arrival he discovers his wife's untamable curiosity and violently shakes her. She runs to the top of the tower, and calls to her sister and brothers. Her relatives save her from death and pin Bluebeard with a sword to the castle walls. The angel appears to restore the murdered wives to life and they are married to seven great lords."
Second I watched Les Trésors de Satan AKA Satan's Treasures (1902) again from Georges Méliès. I really enjoyed this one and it was my second or third viewing. Visually it is much fun.
Third I watched Le Diable Géant ou Le Miracle de la Madonne aka The Devil and the Statue (1902) also by Georges Méliès. This is a morality tale featuring Satan and a statue of the Virgin Mary. It is okay, not my fave by far.
Then I watched The Phantom of the Opera (1924) from director Rupert Julian and produced by Carl Laemle, another classic from Universal. The makeup and acting by Lon Chaney Sr. was classic, and I recommend this film to those who like he silent era of film.
Last I watched ABC's of Death 2 (2015) from Drafthouse Films (in a way, my former employer) and 26 different directors spanning the globe. This anthology was meh to good depending on the letter showcased, but much of the entries were skip worthy.
And I am off to a night of bartending. Cheers! Somebody take a drink for me, your thirsty bartender.
LOB-32
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 25, 2015 15:01:54 GMT -5
I watched five more movies.
First I watched Wes Craven's very first film, The Last House on the Left (1972). Of course, this was the unrated version. This was a shocking film when released and is rapey as fuck. But not as rapey as I Spit on Your Grave or A Serbian Film. Rest In Power Mr. Craven.
Next I watched an always fun movie and cult classic, The Reanimator (1985) based onthe H.P. Lovecraft tale. Fun and a bloody mess. Good times, good times....
Third I watched Le Monstre aka The Monster (1903) by Georges Méliès. This is I believe my third year in a row watching this little nugget about a Pharoah and his dead bride. I still dig it.
Fourth I watched one of my favorite Méliès shorts, Le Chaudron Infernal aka The Infernal Boiling Pot (1903). I enjoy the special effects in this one much and always wonder how Méliès pulled off his magic.
Last I watched one more Georges Méliès film, The Apparition (1903). A fun little film. I love Méliès.
LOB-37
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 29, 2015 3:09:57 GMT -5
So another five movie post. I started things out with, two days ago, Broken Lizard's Club Dread (2003) a fun Horror comedy from the folks who made Super Troopers. Much fun and a repeat view of mine. Next I watched a movie I have wanted to watch since around second or third grade in the very early 1980s. Roger Corman's Pit and the Pendulum (1961) starring the late great master of Horror Vincent Price and from an Edgar Allan Poe story. Took me over thirty years to find this one. I dug it and it looked great! Last night I started my full moon werewolf run. I need to catch up on posting the beers I drank this month, but I will add one right now. Blanco, Texas' Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye is a perfect beer for watching Lycanthorpe films and celebrating the full moon. So I shared a couple movies with my special lady who did not like Horror films before I bulldozed right into her heart. First we watched The Wolfman (1941) from Universal starring that dead drunk, Lon Chaney, Jr. This is a ridiculous film I will revisit over time, but a classic that is celebrated by my two favorite werewolf movies which I watched next. My lady friend looooved An American Werewolf in London (1981) because, well, it fucking rocks bells. One of my favorite five Horror films. Boom. Directed by John Landis. Today before I worked I watched another favorite Lycanthorpe flick from 1980 that also celebrates The Wolfmam. The Howling directed by Joe Dante of Gremlins fame. My brother David scarred me at the age of seven with this one so a thank you and Cheers! to my bro. "I want to give you a piece of my mind"..... So I dedicate my next beer to him for my early love of Horror. This Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ale La Parcela no. 1 Pumpkin Ale is dedicated to my kin. Thank you for the memories. LOB-42
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Post by jakeawesomesnake on Oct 29, 2015 19:47:40 GMT -5
Spoilers Below:
First I watched Stuart Gordon's 1986 American-Italian Sci-fi horror film From Beyond, starring Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree, and Ted Sorel. It is based on H.P. Lovecraft's short story of the same name and is about the unfortunate consequences of stimulating the pineal gland. The soundtrack in this film (consisting of the traditional horror sound with strings, horns, and piano) was good, the cinematography was great (indoor and outdoor, along with the use of colors and way it was used to suggest movement and an ominous feeling), the gore was great, and the acts of violence looked good-great. The acting was good-great with some bits of acting being stronger in certain moments, while it faltered just a tad in others, and the special effects were mostly great, except for a few certain parts (mainly the effect used to show the flying creature, the angle used to show the doctor-creature moving down the stairs, and the visual effect used to show the leech/worm like creatures, which looked great in practical effect form). However, the gore was great throughout. An interesting aspect of the film was the dichotomy between Dr. Bloch and Dr. McMichaels when it came to their mental health/help philosophies, with the former believing that keeping them locked up and using drugs is the best course and the latter being strongly against institutionalization, but for using patients to achieve ends. What's so interesting about this is that both of them have vaild points about the other's flaws. I also liked the comabt pragmatism shown in the film, twice McMichaels gets the better of opponents while restrained using an object and then her teeth to great effect. It was also interesting seeing how those effected by the pineal stimulation changed as time went on. Foree's character suffered headaches and sickness, McMichaels's began to become addicted to the situation and started to become hypersexual, and Combs initially was mentally shaken before beginning to experience a dramatic change in his phsyiology, namely a third eye, as well as trance like moments of agression and hunger. I also liked Foree's character, who seemed to be the most friendly and practical, which could partially explain why his personality changed the least. The climatic interior fight scene was great in terms of effects, with Combs bursting out of Sorel and "I live again" in Sinistar's voice came to my mind then, I also liked that he appeared to have been rejuvenated from his bursting out. The explosion at the end was awesome and stunts like that are something I miss in older films. This is the third Gordon film I've seen, with all of them being based on/inspired by Lovecraft, and there appears to be a trend of them not being as good as times go on (I've also seen Re-Animator and Dagon, with the prior being the the best, this being in the middle, and Dagon being the worst). This is also a film I've been meaning to see for awhile do to its poster and I'm glad to have finally done so. Overall I'd say that it was a really good, but not quite great, film, but in spite of that it was till really entertaining and fun.
Then I watched Jennifer Kent's 2014 Australian-Canadian supernatural/psychological horror film The Babadook, about a parent who begins to have a mental breakdown surrounding the titular monster in a story that her son becomes obsessed with. The acting in the film was good, the soundtrack (mostly ambient noises) was good, the cinematography was great (it was used to give a sense of indoor isolation), the set design was great (the house was apparently created just for the film, but despite this it appeared to be lived in), the gore was good-great (I thought it looked great except for the scene where the appariton of her husband's head got cut diagonally), the acts of violence were good, and I thought the ambient sound effects were great. Another aspect of the film I liked was the impressionist style popup book, honestly I thought it was creepier than the movie itself, and I never really considered popup books as something that could actually be creepy and/or scary. I thought the child actor did a great job (except for the strangling scene, where it looked a little off though I guess that could be explained do to it being a hallucination), he was a realistic kid in that he acted like one, but at the still time wasn't portrayed as a complete idiot. Incidentally, I liked that the film showed the dangerous potential of Home Alone style booby traps and the kid's ability reminded me of my older brother's. Initially I thought the story was going the Repulsion route ,but by the end it appeared to be actually supernatural which I thought hurt the film. It fell apart at the end where it felt that it was going three different directions for the conclusion and The Babadook (which was portrayed as this incredibly powerful entity) was defeated rather easily. I'm not against horror films that are ambiguous in whether the threat is real world or supernatural ,but instead of doing one well it did all three worse. An aspect of the film I did like was how it showed the effects of lack of sleep, something I have suffered many times myself (was once up for slightly over seven and a half days), and you do start to see things in the corner of your eye, as well as begin to get irritable. LOB, I was wondering your thoughts on the film because I think they might be similar to mine and you didn't expand on them before our hiatus. Overall, while I thought the movie was good (and it was interesting to see an attempt at something different), it was definitely not great and I don't agree with the consensus that it's a masterpiece either. Sometimes people become too hyped up for something just because it was good and new, which I thought was the case here.
After that I watched Aharon Keshales and Navot Papshudo's Israeli 2013 comedy horror thriller Big Bad Wolves, which is about a suspect pedophile/murderer getting captured and tortured and the descending triangle of sides that ensues. The acting, cinematography, gore, soundtrack, and acts of violence in this movie were all great. To elaborate a bit more the cinematography not only made indoor and outside scenes look great, but was also able to deliver a sort of surreal comedy (the gallant Arab on his horse who just seems to stroll in out of nowhere) and at the same time an omnious feeling. The soundtrack was mostly instrumental (with Buddy Holly's Everday being used once during an abrupt baking scene) and managed to not only enhances the serious scenes, but also be somewhat whimsical in moments of comedy that would come up. Speaking of the comedy, I found the movie to be funny ,but also liked that it never effected the otherwise serious atmoshphere of the film, which some dark and horror comedies tend to do (a rare best of both worlds situation was enabled). The gore was also incredibly varied throughout. Sometimes you just have a feeling that you are going to love a movie as soon as it starts and I knew that about five minutes in. I also liked the twist of the movie and the fact that it adds up on a second viewing. On a sidenote, I also liked the film's poster. This was a great movie and a reccomend. Unlike The Babadook it loved up to the hype.
Fourth I watched Rob Zombie's 2003 American film House of 1000 Corpses, starring Sherri Moon Zombie, Tim Towles, Sid Haig, Bill Mosely, Chris Hardwick, Karen Black, and Walton Goggins. It's a throwback style road horror film serving as a prelude to The Devil's Rejects. The acting was good-great, the cinematography was great, the gore was great, the soundtrack (a mix of classic rock and country with metal provided by the director) was great. I also thought the set designs for Captain Spaulding's and the titular house looked great. I'd heard many mixed things about this film and found most of them to be untrue, while I would say it's not quite great, it was still really well made and was great in terms of fun and enjoyment. It was weird seeing Chris Hardwick with long hair and recognizing so many actors when they were younger. Sid Haig has great presence as Captain Spaulding and so did Karen Black, but I Otis lacked the presence he has in the sequel. I also liked how you could really see Zombie's appreciation for not only older 70's style horror films ,but other gritty 70's style films as well. Finally got around to watching this thouroughly enjoyable movie. So far the only movie I didn't like that I've seen of Zombie's was The Lords of Salem.
Finally I watched Jack Sholder's 1985 American slasher A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, starring Mark Patton and Robert Englund. The acting was ok-great, the cinematography was great, the soundtrack (a mix of 80's synth and rock, Freddy's Rhyme, and classic horrror strings) was great, the gore was great, and the special effects ranged from bad-great. Englund had a great ,menacing presence as Freddy and was threatening throughout, while still eliciting a sense of humor. One of the things it had going throughout was it's nonstop sense of fun and ridculousness. At one point in the movie, you have a parakeet (I believe) that goes rouge and begins to attack the family, even using tactics such as throwing a lamp at them before spontaenously comubusting. At another, the toaster catches fire even though the thing isn't even plugged in. The Dad just believes it's the gasline having issues and thinks that the son is both on drugs and/or setting it up. This movie was also super 80"s (which isn't neccesarily a bad thing), which really showed at the pool party and the interactions with the gym coach. The gym coach oozes character and presence, you can just tell that the guy is a sadistic asshole, and he nonchalantly reacts to the gym equipment seeminly going sentient and against him (he just keeps chewing his gum as if nothing had happened). Meanwhile the pool party massacre was brilliant and hilarious: the pool heats up and begins scalding people, the hotdogs being popping like fireworks, the fence is so hot it's kepping all the partygoers inside (the effect was bad though), all the beer in the cooler begins to explode like some sort of beer fountain, and then Freddy comes in and cleans house in all his gory glory. I also loved the bus stunt and while I've said it before I'll reiterate it, I love the old stunts in films before CGI became so prevalent. Overall this was a good and throughly entertaining film.
Hey LOB, I'd liked to apologize for participating in the competition so late, my shoulder and back were busted up all month and I was barely able to get much done. I'ms till hoping we can keep up the competitions all year long though.
JAS-5
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 30, 2015 9:48:34 GMT -5
Yay! My friend JAS is in the house! Sorry about your physical woes. What happened? And yes, I aim to keep these going. My new lady friend wants to watch movies with me and already has Thanksgiving and Christmas movies planned for our watching. I know she will be happy to hear that you and I are still doing these. She knows what these competitions mean to us and will keep me better focused through the craziness of my life. And my bar-eatery will have a small focus on Horror, so movies of our favorite genre will screen on our teevee screens. My partner Manuel and I should be opening up The Growling at Suite 111, 700 North LBJ Drive, San Marcos, Texas 78666, yes, 78666 by mid December. The date keeps being pushed up but things are happening including our Lycanthorpe logo and t-shirts are due soon. Cuban and Colombian food with a Texan twist and 29 craft beers on tap from the four corners of Texas and Texas only wine with food ingredients from local farms and vendors from Central Texas. To quote me, "Local as Fuck". Jake, remind me in a month to send you a tee-shirt. Right now I am in my third day of fighting a cold. I have been barfy, confused, exhausted and generally fucked up and sore. Slept over ten hours yesterday. Off of work today. Will be watching much to try to achieve my goal of 60 Horror themed movies. And now I add four more. Two days ago on Tuesday I added one more Lycanthorpe film to celebrate the full moon of October, Halloween Month. I watched Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943) from Universal Studios. I like this movie more than the Wolfman as it has a better plot. The biggest negative for me is that the Frankenstein Monster is not portrayed by the great Boris Karloff but by Bela Lugosi who I have grown to loathe in the past few years. Glen Strange had also played the monster in other Universal films and did a good job but did not own the role like Karloff. Lugosi stunk as the Monster. Ug. Second I watched one of my favorite Georges Méliès, films Le Cake-walk Infernal aka The Infernal Cake Walk (1903). I love the dancing and the acrobat/circus performer types playing various demons. A very visually fun short from France and Star Studios. My last film from 1903 was Faust in Hell, again from Georges Méliès. I enjoyed the intricate and moving background pieces on the descent to the nether regions of Hell. Méliès was an amazing man. Next was The Black Devil aka as The Black Imp aka Le Diable Noir (1905) also by Georges Méliès. I dig this fun little short about a mischievous demon messing with the main character who just wants to relax. Fun times. Since I am sick I will be spend the majority of this day adding to this list. Next up will be a final Méliès film for the month and a few Spanish shorts that are incredible that I watched last year. I am drinking my breakfast beer from a favorite brewery of mine. Funky Pumpkin Spiced Sour Beer from Boulevard Brewing Company out of Kansas City, MO is my kind of beer. Barrel aged and inocculated with Brettanomyces (Brett for short) a wild yeast I love that makes beer sour and as beer geeks like myself say, funky. Funky like a monkey to quote the late great American Dream Dusty Rhodes. And a Cheers! to JAS and Dusty Rhodes, Mr. Rhodes, Rest In Power! LOB-46
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Post by loverofbeers on Oct 30, 2015 11:19:30 GMT -5
So to address my pal in Horror , Jake..... I saw The Babadook at my former job, the flagship of the Alamo Drafthouse Theaters, Alamo South Lamar. My co-workers loved this movie and one jackass (yeah you, you gingerkid half-ass worker from the Pacific northwest Jacob, and a big Fuck You and thank you for not returning ANY favors shithead, multiple favors, to ya, you skinny fuckwad) that kept my copy of Zombi (The Argento edit of Dawn of the Dead), a big cinephile, considered Babadook to be the best movie he had seen to that point in 2015. I have learned that real Horror fans are the best critics for Horror. Jake, I agree with you wholeheartedly. The monster was wimpy by the end. I took the monster to be real which was a fatal flaw for the film for me. If the mom had imagined it all and been a deranged antagonist, well this flick would have been a great psychological Horror film. I am convinced and I argued much with other viewers that this was not the case as the kid knew that The Babadook was real and experienced it before his mother knew about her son's monstrous troubles. Still it was a good film, just not the great film I heard it was from my co-workers. One more fuck you to the gingerkid, thank you for being the wuss you are and not returning my last scathing text message or returning my movie. May you shine that dvd case up nice, turn it sideways, and stick it right up your candyass, you big pile of stinking monkey crap! I also liked House of a 1000 Corpses but it can't hold up to the great The Devil's Rejects which I aim to rewatch before this month ends. Jake, you are a great reviewer of our genre, so a Magic Hat Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale Cheers! to you, sir. I just watched two more films. Gonna skip the 1906 Méliès film as my slow interwebs struggles in the lightning/thunder storm that is bringing lovely rain to my drought-ravaged home of Central Texas. So I now skip 1906, partly, to jump to Spain and 1907 with two great films full of magical genius from the great Segundo de Chomón. Here is the great and mighty Wikipedia intro about this master of stop-photography in yesteryear's films: "Segundo Víctor Aurelio Chomón y Ruiz (also Chomont or Chaumont (17 October 1871 – 2 May 1929) was a pioneering Spanish-French film director. He produced many short films in France while working for Pathé Frères and has been compared to Georges Méliès, due to his frequent camera tricks and optical illusions. He is regarded as the most significant Spanish silent film director in an international context. The very year that de Chomón died, the Surrealists organized a soirée that would rehabilitate the artistic reputation of Georges Méliès and to begin the long process of recovering his films. De Chomón was effectively forgotten in the wake of his death, though over time silent film collectors began to recognize some of his shorts and he was dubbed "The Spanish Méliès" in English-speaking lands. Two of his films, Le Spectre Rouge (1907) and El hotel Eléctrico (1908), persistently circulated in the collector's market and were also circulated by the Museum of Modern Art film library; the first as an example of stencilled color and the second as a Pathé Frères film by an unknown director. Italian film Cabiria (where he was director of photography & special FX) featured what may have been the first "dolly shot" in the movies, utilizing a device built by de Chomón. Finally, recognition came to de Chomón in his home country, as the Filmoteca de Catalunya established a special division with the purpose of collecting and cataloguing what was left of his output; a DVD collection in PAL format with 31 films, Segundo de Chomón: Le Cine de la Fantasia, was released by the Filmoteca in 2010. Many of de Chomon's Parisian Pathé Frères films have been recovered, but his Spanish and Italian productions have proven more elusive.
Comparisons of de Chomón's work with that of Georges Méliès is inevitable, with those in De Chomón's court insisting that he was a better filmmaker, whereas those on Méliès' side insist that De Chomón was a mere imitator. While it is hard to top Méliès' achievements in discovering basic editing and in his eye-popping production designs, de Chomon was a slightly more modern filmmaker than Méliès. De Chomón relied extensively on animation, a field in which he was a pioneer and a technique Georges Méliès seldom, if ever, used. Moreover, de Chomón offered slight improvements on some techniques that Méliès already had tried, such as in Les Kiriki, acrobates japonais (1907). De Chomón's work was also more expansive in terms of genre than that of Méliès; he started in actuality films and continued working in this field after the transition to documentary and was also employed on standard dramatic features as well. Méliès began making actualities also, in 1896, but after discovering and developing the trick film and fantasy genres, he stayed put. Nevertheless, it is for his trick films that de Chomón will be best remembered; Spain honored him with a postage stamp in 1994.
Film historian Tom Gunning has suggested that Luis Buñuel and/or Salvador Dalí were familiar with de Chomón's Superstition andalouse (1912) years before making their groundbreaking experimental film Un chien Andalou (1929)." So I watched two films that I recommend from this master of early films. First was La Maison Hantée aka La Maison Ensorcelée aka The Haunted House (1906). A must watch. This is incredible film making. Next up is Chomón's Le Spectre Rouge aka The Red Spectre aka Satán se divierte (1907). My favorite representation of my Dark Lord Satan. Another must watch from a genius. Drinking my second of three breakfast beers. Magic Hat Brewing Company's Wilhelm Scream Pumpkin Ale. This beer is okay but has a name I love. A breakfast beer/Halloweeny Cheers! to beer. LOB-48
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