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Vincent Price is in The Fly?!
A scary thing happened on the way to the Movie Forums - Horrorcrammers
Sorry for not being around of late. Although I did avoid the horror of the recent tornadoes that hit my region, I lost power for about 36 hours and haven't had internet since late Friday night.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
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Sorry for not being around of late. Although I did avoid the horror of the recent tornadoes that hit my region, I lost power for about 36 hours and haven't had internet since late Friday night.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
Yes he is. In other news, Lugosi was in Dracula and water is wet.
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Yeesh! Glad you are safe!!
I do not feel like this is common knowledge. At least not in the filing system in my brain. This is filed under "Surprises!"
I do not feel like this is common knowledge. At least not in the filing system in my brain. This is filed under "Surprises!"
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Sorry for not being around of late. Although I did avoid the horror of the recent tornadoes that hit my region, I lost power for about 36 hours and haven't had internet since late Friday night.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
X
User Lists
Sorry for not being around of late. Although I did avoid the horror of the recent tornadoes that hit my region, I lost power for about 36 hours and haven't had internet since late Friday night.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
Looking forward to catching up with this thread and the best of the oughts.
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Vincent Price is in The Fly?!
I am disappointed that this was not previously brought to my attention.
And, no, I'm NOT done with The Birds. . .
I am disappointed that this was not previously brought to my attention.
And, no, I'm NOT done with The Birds. . .
Considering how cracked you were at Rumpled's Guess the Gif game?And in related news, now I need to see The Fly for the first time.
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You didn't know that? Considering how cracked you were at Rumpled's Guess the Gif game?
And in related news, now I need to see The Fly for the first time.
Considering how cracked you were at Rumpled's Guess the Gif game?And in related news, now I need to see The Fly for the first time.
"Combs has his hair eaten off by one of the worms, and Crampton is so distraught, she hardly has time to change into leather S & M gear... I was wondering why she took the time to change into leather until I saw the next scene, and then I got it: Stuart Gordon was asking himself when the last time was we saw a blond psychiatrist in leather battling with a slime-worm from another dimension?"
- Roger Ebert.
- Roger Ebert.
Next y’all are gonna tell me you’re unaware that THE Brian Donlevy is in The Curse of the Fly!
What’s that? You weren’t even aware that there was a third entry in the original series of The Fly? Oh my.
What’s that? You weren’t even aware that there was a third entry in the original series of The Fly? Oh my.
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I haven't watched long horror in a minute, but you guys, the short film starting at 2:05 in this video is one of the best things I've seen in a hot minute:
I took way too long to realize how many good short horrors were on youtube.
I took way too long to realize how many good short horrors were on youtube.
Special props to Bava's Shock for having suck a brilliant ending.
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Special props to Bava's Shock for having suck a brilliant ending.
Anyway, good movie.
__________________
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Full disclosure: Messiah of Evil put me to sleep twice.
Glad I gave it a third chance, though, because it lived up to the praise some of you have bestowed upon it over the years.
some random notes:
I especially loved that it didn't act like a horror film for the most part. The grocery scene was shot in fluorescent grocery store lighting, with the only score being the Muzak playing over the speakers. It felt very much like what it might actually look like, were you to encounter such a thing at your local market, which was more effective for me than if they'd treated it as a "scary" scene with appropriate lighting and spooky soundtrack.
The murals on the dad's walls were *chef's kiss*.
The theater scene was terrific and reminded me of the birds gathering on the playground behind the oblivious Tippi Hedren. Suspense!
Glad I gave it a third chance, though, because it lived up to the praise some of you have bestowed upon it over the years.
some random notes:
I especially loved that it didn't act like a horror film for the most part. The grocery scene was shot in fluorescent grocery store lighting, with the only score being the Muzak playing over the speakers. It felt very much like what it might actually look like, were you to encounter such a thing at your local market, which was more effective for me than if they'd treated it as a "scary" scene with appropriate lighting and spooky soundtrack.
The murals on the dad's walls were *chef's kiss*.
The theater scene was terrific and reminded me of the birds gathering on the playground behind the oblivious Tippi Hedren. Suspense!
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Full disclosure: Messiah of Evil put me to sleep twice.
Glad I gave it a third chance, though, because it lived up to the praise some of you have bestowed upon it over the years.
some random notes:
I especially loved that it didn't act like a horror film for the most part. The grocery scene was shot in fluorescent grocery store lighting, with the only score being the Muzak playing over the speakers. It felt very much like what it might actually look like, were you to encounter such a thing at your local market, which was more effective for me than if they'd treated it as a "scary" scene with appropriate lighting and spooky soundtrack.
The murals on the dad's walls were *chef's kiss*.
The theater scene was terrific and reminded me of the birds gathering on the playground behind the oblivious Tippi Hedren. Suspense!
Glad I gave it a third chance, though, because it lived up to the praise some of you have bestowed upon it over the years.
some random notes:
I especially loved that it didn't act like a horror film for the most part. The grocery scene was shot in fluorescent grocery store lighting, with the only score being the Muzak playing over the speakers. It felt very much like what it might actually look like, were you to encounter such a thing at your local market, which was more effective for me than if they'd treated it as a "scary" scene with appropriate lighting and spooky soundtrack.
The murals on the dad's walls were *chef's kiss*.
The theater scene was terrific and reminded me of the birds gathering on the playground behind the oblivious Tippi Hedren. Suspense!
Cross-posting from my thread.
I do not celebrate Christmas, which means that most of my favourite Christmas movies (Die Hard, Black Christmas, Trading Places) have **** all to do with the spirit of the season. (I make an exception for It's a Wonderful Life, which is inarguably a great movie.) And while in theory I like to take a "live and let live" attitude when it comes to things other people are into, I must admit I find the overly commercialized Christmas cheer we're assaulted year after year with a bit trying. And when I hear people talking about the "Christmas spirit" or some other crap, I'll be honest and say I sometimes find it a bit insufferable. When I watched The Stuff earlier this year, I found it resonated nicely with my innate distrust of anything that gets a little too popular. Christmas Evil, a psychological horror film directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart, is a movie for those of us who get suspicious when someone is a little too full of Christmas cheer. I should note that it's very good, in large part due to the lead performance.
For a good chunk of my cinephilic life, I was predominantly concerned with direction in more technical terms. When it came to acting, I would find myself struggling to say something more substantial than a vague summation of quality ("pretty good", "not so good", etc). It's something I still struggle with, but I feel I've steadily become more attuned to the specifics of a performance (or at least tried to do so), and particularly how it's complemented by the direction. It's something that was very much on my mind as I watched Christmas Evil, which gets much of its effect from the way Jackson's direction evokes the isolation felt by Maggart, frequently opting to hold takes much longer than you would expect, letting you feel his psyche deteriorate in almost real time. The shot choices vary, but are always deployed purposefully. One affecting moment has him framed in a medium shot alone in his house as he hums "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", while another has him stare into the mirror as he tries on a fake beard. The cinematography by Ricardo Aronovich, best known for artier fare (credits include Missing, The Most Important Thing: Love and Murmur of the Heart), reminded me of Black Christmas in the way it subverts the coziness we associate with this time of year, and of Gordon Willis' work in The Godfather in evoking a certain insular, psychologically intense quality.
I'd been aware of the title for years (although I only just realized that it's a pun; blame my Christmaphobia), and had assumed it would be a slasher about a killer in a Santa suit like Silent Night, Deadly Night. But despite a few gruesome moments, The actual movie is closer to a mix of psychological horror and character study, and the comparisons I've seen to Taxi Driver are surprisingly on point. Given its premise (a man grows up to be dangerously obsessed with Christmas after seeing his mommy do more than kiss Santa Claus as a child), this shouldn't work, but the measured direction and deeply committed lead performance make it resonate. While it's gained something of a cult following (in part thanks to John Waters' endorsement), I suspect audiences might have struggled with it in the context of the first slasher wave. If you own the Vinegar Syndrome release, you can get a taste of what audience reactions were with the comment card featurette they helpfully included. Some choice responses:
Walked out
WHY?
TRASH!
A few viewers expressed a tone of concern:
Should not be shown around Christmas, will give weirdos bad ideas
Don't release!
At least one took the wrong message:
I think I'll be like Harry this Xmas
But at least some got it:
Very good study of a psychotic personality
Beats Bing Crosby
It will make a lot of money
That last person rated it "Excellent".
Christmas Evil (Jackson, 1980)
I do not celebrate Christmas, which means that most of my favourite Christmas movies (Die Hard, Black Christmas, Trading Places) have **** all to do with the spirit of the season. (I make an exception for It's a Wonderful Life, which is inarguably a great movie.) And while in theory I like to take a "live and let live" attitude when it comes to things other people are into, I must admit I find the overly commercialized Christmas cheer we're assaulted year after year with a bit trying. And when I hear people talking about the "Christmas spirit" or some other crap, I'll be honest and say I sometimes find it a bit insufferable. When I watched The Stuff earlier this year, I found it resonated nicely with my innate distrust of anything that gets a little too popular. Christmas Evil, a psychological horror film directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart, is a movie for those of us who get suspicious when someone is a little too full of Christmas cheer. I should note that it's very good, in large part due to the lead performance.
For a good chunk of my cinephilic life, I was predominantly concerned with direction in more technical terms. When it came to acting, I would find myself struggling to say something more substantial than a vague summation of quality ("pretty good", "not so good", etc). It's something I still struggle with, but I feel I've steadily become more attuned to the specifics of a performance (or at least tried to do so), and particularly how it's complemented by the direction. It's something that was very much on my mind as I watched Christmas Evil, which gets much of its effect from the way Jackson's direction evokes the isolation felt by Maggart, frequently opting to hold takes much longer than you would expect, letting you feel his psyche deteriorate in almost real time. The shot choices vary, but are always deployed purposefully. One affecting moment has him framed in a medium shot alone in his house as he hums "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town", while another has him stare into the mirror as he tries on a fake beard. The cinematography by Ricardo Aronovich, best known for artier fare (credits include Missing, The Most Important Thing: Love and Murmur of the Heart), reminded me of Black Christmas in the way it subverts the coziness we associate with this time of year, and of Gordon Willis' work in The Godfather in evoking a certain insular, psychologically intense quality.
I'd been aware of the title for years (although I only just realized that it's a pun; blame my Christmaphobia), and had assumed it would be a slasher about a killer in a Santa suit like Silent Night, Deadly Night. But despite a few gruesome moments, The actual movie is closer to a mix of psychological horror and character study, and the comparisons I've seen to Taxi Driver are surprisingly on point. Given its premise (a man grows up to be dangerously obsessed with Christmas after seeing his mommy do more than kiss Santa Claus as a child), this shouldn't work, but the measured direction and deeply committed lead performance make it resonate. While it's gained something of a cult following (in part thanks to John Waters' endorsement), I suspect audiences might have struggled with it in the context of the first slasher wave. If you own the Vinegar Syndrome release, you can get a taste of what audience reactions were with the comment card featurette they helpfully included. Some choice responses:
Walked out
WHY?
TRASH!
A few viewers expressed a tone of concern:
Should not be shown around Christmas, will give weirdos bad ideas
Don't release!
At least one took the wrong message:
I think I'll be like Harry this Xmas
But at least some got it:
Very good study of a psychotic personality
Beats Bing Crosby
It will make a lot of money
That last person rated it "Excellent".
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I love Christmas Evil. I’m a sucker for the style of horror that are derived from Taxi Driver-esque psychological examinations (Martin, Maniac, Fade to Black) and this is among the best. The direction is low-key stylish, occasionally pulling from horror/thriller royalty like M and Frankenstein, and it makes this such an effective underdog of the film.
Plus, it has an all timer ending. Glad you enjoyed it! I’m planning to show it and Deadly Games on Thursday.
Plus, it has an all timer ending. Glad you enjoyed it! I’m planning to show it and Deadly Games on Thursday.
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