A scary thing happened on the way to the Movie Forums - Horrorcrammers

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Yes, they were pointing down towards the tighty whities.


Wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
You better be sure. Because I'm not talking about no gutter trash 6-pack. You ain't got abs unless you got V-abs. They're vabulous.



Somebody get this thirsty man a gaterade!



You better be sure. Because I'm not talking about no gutter trash 6-pack. You ain't got abs unless you got V-abs. They're vabulous.
I'm just glad he was wearing tighty whities. Otherwise the V would have led us to stare at his roid-shrunken genitals. That V doesn't come without a cost, but one that we, the viewers, shouldn't have to pay.



Victim of The Night
No need to bring your own maggots, I have a cannon full of them.


*sprays maggots over everybody with no warning*



There's been a recent reassessment of the second Amityville film, and I'm not really so convinced. Better than the third? Sure, what isn't? But all things considered, it's a pretty dull horror film with a dab of incest subtext.

I remember thinking it was probably better than I remembered, but it really wasn't. Not a complete bust though, like everything that followed.

As a whole, it's got to be in contention for one of the worst horror franchises ever.



So back to Amityville-- This was a Huge Deal when I was a kid. I remember fully-grown relatives losing their **** after seeing it. My uncle the electrician was terrified to enter people's attics as a result of this movie. The flies and red-eyed pigs (?) and so on were all vivid memories of mine from back then. So imagine my surprise when I realized during last night's viewing that....maybe I've never actually watched this before? I'd bet money that I saw an edited-for-tv version at some point in my childhood, but most of this was unfamiliar. All of this is just to point out how culturally important this thing was, important enough to convince people they've seen it when maybe they haven't. I mean, there's 25 sequels/remakes so...yeah. It was huge.

So-- with that much baggage attached it's hard for this thing to support the weight. I'm as inclined towards this sort of movie as anybody, but didn't really see anything remarkable here. Like we could just as easily have 25 Changeling or Burnt Offerings sequels as far as I'm concerned, not sure why we went ape over this one. (I realize there was a popular novel as well so maybe that's part of it)

(full disclosure: Around the 1:20 mark I decided that now was the perfect time to vacuum behind my couch, so that happened. So I can't say I gave it my full attention.) Maybe one day I'll give it another spin, now that my expectations have been adjusted. Certainly didn't hate it.


 



You having a sudden inclination to vacuum behind the couch, almost sounds like one of the horrors of the movie was unleashed upon you. Call an exorcist immediately.



You having a sudden inclination to vacuum behind the couch, almost sounds like one of the horrors of the movie was unleashed upon you. Call an exorcist immediately.
Here's the scariest part... He doesn't even own a vacuum.



Ain't nobody chopping firewood down here in June, so I had to find another outlet for my masculine frustrations. So I vacuumed.
Also the dust bunnies kept telling me to leave the house.
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Captain's Log
My Collection



The Amityville Horror understands the terror of chores more than most films. It and Jeanne Dielman.
Sometimes these Criterion double-features practically write themselves.



Went through a bunch of the Ringu movies over the weekend.


I think I underrated the original when I watched it originally alongside the more forceful American remake (one of the few cases I can think of where a remake uses its higher production values effectively), but Hideo Nakata has a better handle on genuinely creepy imagery than most directors and that goes a long way. I also enjoyed Ringu 2 quite a bit for the same reason, and I appreciated that it has a firmer emotional core as well. Will give these two a recommendation.


I also watched Spiral and Ringu 0. The former was supposed to be the actual sequel to the original film and was released alongside it, but ended up being so poorly received that they redid it. It has the genius idea to make the spirit hornier as well as a bunch of other story ideas that mesh horribly with the original, but there's something to be said for material this goofy in this series' gloomy aesthetic. If this was an Italian horror movie, I suspect it would be better liked.


Ringu 0 is a prequel that explains how the spirit came to be, despite there being much more elegant explanations provided in the preceding movies. It's really dumb and fan-service-y, but also relatively well directed and with enough actual good moments that I did enjoy it.


I also learn that there's a Ringu/Ju-On crossover movie where the spirits from both series duke it out. Who thought that was a good idea? *adds to watchlist*



I think I underrated the original when I watched it originally alongside the more forceful American remake
One of the most widespread cinematic heresies I'm aware of. The original is a masterpiece, and one of the rare examples of a case where the film is better than the book. The remake is, well, just another remake.

I do like Samara, though, and her short interviews are the best parts of the remake (I absolutely love that subtle difference in the two versions):



This all reminds me that I'd need to rewatch the Japanese sequels and prequels. I don't even think I've seen Spiral ever.

I also learn that there's a Ringu/Ju-On crossover movie where the spirits from both series duke it out. Who thought that was a good idea? *adds to watchlist*
It's surprisingly watchable. Not really scary like the originals, but escalating goofy fun.
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Have you guys watched the Hell House LLC franchise? It has a decent (for found footage) 6.4 on ImDB, but it's dreadful, and yet they made sequels. Am I late on that one wagon?



I always confuse the title Spiral with Uzumaki.



Have you guys watched the Hell House LLC franchise? It has a decent (for found footage) 6.4 on ImDB, but it's dreadful, and yet they made sequels. Am I late on that one wagon?
I know someone mentioned it here in the past but that someone wasn't me.