2022 HORROR THREAD

[NoFistsJustFlips]

Caught Barbarian. Went in blind as blind can be. Fuck that was good. I legit had no idea it wasn't just home invasion serial killer thriller. Sooo good.

[Curt McGirt]

I'm watching it right now.

EDIT: That was a blast. 

Spoiler

Frankly I thought it was as funny as it was scary but the humor is pitch, pitch black, just like most of the movie. There was a really good review of it on website Oh, The Horror! that says that and also says all the contemporary political bits are red herrings because the movie is really a carnival barker showing off his wares, and they're right. It's a sick flick with only vague notions to respectability. And that's the way it should be. 

And in case you feel uncomfortable at the laughter you might find (specifically I felt great schedenfreude with Justin Long's character, who I hated on sight), remember this was directed by a guy who wrote for The Whitest Kids I Know.

Oh yeah and I need to see WAY more Richard Brake roles.

EDIT: Read this AFTER you watch it. Horror Reviews - Barbarian (2022) (oh-the-horror.com)

Edited October 30, 2022 by Curt McGirt

[Unnatural]

Brief thoughts for Cabinet of Curiosities series. Enjoyed this so much I was up til maybe 5 finishing up the season.

The Autopsy was my top of the mountain GOAT pick, perfect run time, everything I was expecting from an anthology series created by GDT

Lot 36, Graveyard Rats, Dreams in the Witch House were next for my faves. Wish these had run longer instead of some of the other ones, these were fucking great but ran too short imo, especially when compared to my bottom of the barrel episodes The Outside and Murmurations. Ran way too long, couldn't invest in the leads, felt it took too long to get to a payoff when they could've condensed them, tightened them up, and maybe I'd have liked them more

The Viewing, fucking loved the ending but also felt they could've tightened up the script and cut running time, ditto for Pickmans Model. Didn't really like the leads on these, but the payoff made it worth it
 

Spoiler

True spoilers-
Lot 36 - Hated the main guy, loved seeing him get his comeuppance. Wish they'd have given this at least another 15 minutes 

Graveyard Rats - Same thing where I hated the lead, but I loved seeing this motherfucker get his just desserts. Using an AD&D analogy, seeing him constantly rolling 1s when he's in the tunnel and going thru so much hell was such a blast, also wished it might've at least had another 10 minutes run time

The Autopsy - Perfect10n all around, this encapsulated EVERYTHING about a GDT- run series I would have hoped for. Something for everyone imo

Dreams in the Witch House - Ron Weasley is still a greaseball loser and I wish we'd got more background on that ripples in the forest threat. What exactly are the repercussions, since it seems all the fallout was from the Witch herself and nothing to do with the forest. Would've loved an extra 20 minutes here with more background 

The Viewing- Takes a long time to get going, but once those last 15 minutes hit it goes to another level. Had they tightened up the pacing in the first half, I'd probably rank this higher but overall was pretty good 

Pickmans Model- Pretty good from the start, but for something an hour long there were pacing issues everywhere. We got an unnecessary time jump and waste so much screen time going nowhere. I mean you might see it as character development but I felt work in the time jump as clips or montages and skip all the wasted time with arguing over and over and over. 

Murmurations I fucking hated since it felt like an off brand remake of Dreams in Witch House. Aka someone haunted by ghosts of the past, needing closure, and they take way too many detours to get to a conclusion that you see coming from a mile away. Shrink this episode and give the run time to one of the other ones and maybe we can rate this higher

The Outside, same complaint where I hated the fucking lead, took up so much screen time for "character development" for a character that I didn't give a fuck about. Just to take us to an ending that, SURPRISE, you already saw coming a mile away 

Lot 36 and Graveyard Rats got you to hate the lead, same way that you HATE Justin Longs character in Barbarian, right. They're written as such shitbags that you're actually cheering by the time the credits roll. Didn't feel like that with Murmurations and Outside.  Not so much that you detest the leads, but imho, more like you could give a fuck less about them

These two felt more like GDT doing the writers and director a favor by giving them hour long shows, like he wanted to give them a spotlight and hope they make a splash? They just went self indulgent imo and turned in fairly predictable scripts 

But hey, enjoying 6 outta 8 ain't all bad so overall I'd rate the entire season 2thumbs up  

 

Fingers crossed I get to watch the Train to Busan series later today along with Bullet Train. Hopefully nobody cancels, I'm going in blind for these 3.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Hayabusa

[J.T.]

Just finished watching Shudder's 101 Scary Moments.  It is eight episodes strong.  There are some very controversial rankings as well as some non-horror content, but it is a fairly strong list worth discussing.

I'll be posting a review to Secret Satan.

[Curt McGirt]

Shit I gotta get on that, I didn't realize it was a Shudder special and only one episode has aired on TV TV so far. 

Me and the crew are going to Terrifier 2 tonight. Good lord, 2 1/2 hours. I almost passed but when everyone else said they were going, one by one, I finally folded. It'll probably be the only Teenage Martians reunion this year and it won't be on a stage of course. You know you're getting old when the only Halloween thing all your friends get together for is a movie, and sober at that. 

[elizium]

Weekend of scary movies, obvs.

Watched Poltergeist 2 and 3. Haven't seen either in quite awhile, but still dug them a lot. Not as good as Poltergeist, but as far as horror sequels go, they are damn strong. Adding an actual antagonist in Kane was the right move. Not needed for the first movie, but gives a decent excuse for why spooky stuff would still be happening to this family.

Overall, I think I liked 3 better than 2, but they both had pluses and minuses. Three definitely loses something by not having the whole family, especially since they decided to have Nancy Allen undergo a weird turn part way through and become completely unlikeable. Weaker movie, but the mirror gimmick is so cool and the effects so well done that it puts it over 2 imo. Ends abruptly, but under the circumstances, not surprising. I have not seen 3 since I was a kid and there were so many scenes that stuck with me.

Two was strange in that in builds up Taylor, but he really doesn't do anything and disappears at points when you'd think he'd be around. They also try to build up Steve as having to save his family, but its really Deus Ex Gramama that does it at the end. Still, I'm not sure there's a better scene in the whole trilogy than Steve being possessed by Kane after eating the worm, at least acting wise. Craig T Nelson eats that scene for lunch.

Watched Barbarian last night. Took friends advice and went in without knowing anything about it, which I am so glad I did. Not going to talk about it much since it's still new, other than fucking watch it. Skip trailers, reviews, etc and just watch it. Again, trying to remain spoiler free, but I loved the section that was shot with a fish eye lens, those who've seen it know what I'm talking about. Such a cool way of differentiating that section of the film.

Wasn't going to watch Cabinet of Curiosities until I saw that Panos Cosmatos did an episode. I will always give time to my man Panos. Have watched the first 2 episodes so far. Tim Blake Nelson rules, but Lot 36 was pretty weak. Such an abrupt ending. Like Graveyard Rats a little more. David Hewlett puts on such an awesome performance. His monologue, when trying to sell his wares, about the rats in Salem was *chef's kiss*

Good Halloween weekend of spooky stuff

[Curt McGirt]

Happy Halloween everybody! 

Just got back from Terrifier 2. Me and my bud were talking and he said it was probably the goriest film he'd ever seen in a non-art theater. I mulled on this while on the toilet and it's probably mine too. I've seen Dead Alive/Braindead at the Art but that is, well, an art theater. This was so OTT. Even though it was 2 1/2 it thankfully didn't drag at any point, just mercilessly tearing through gag after gag, victim after victim. One of the murders in this is one of the most extreme and realistic ones ever filmed and is right up there with any Guinea Pig shit -- and that's in a film where 

Spoiler

some asshole 24 year-old with an 18 year-old girlfriend thankfully gets stabbed in the crotch like a dozen times and has his dick ripped off which is then used to write on a windshield.

That might be to make good on the serious male gaze this film has for its lead... whos character is also an 18 year-old girl.

At the same time it's tongue is totally in-cheek and you don't feel dirty watching it. I remember feeling the last one was a little too heavy but this one was just right. There was also a fun little behind the scenes/interview segment after the movie. 

If you see it, try to catch the 1980 Friday the 13th nod at the very start. Won't be hard really, but it's nice. 

[The Natural]

As it's Halloween today:

 

 

[elizium]

I am all about Crispin Glover's ridiculous accent in episode 5 of Cabinet of Curiosities

Edited November 1, 2022 by elizium

[J.T.]

On 10/30/2022 at 9:49 PM, elizium said:

Watched Barbarian last night. Took friends advice and went in without knowing anything about it, which I am so glad I did. Not going to talk about it much since it's still new, other than fucking watch it. Skip trailers, reviews, etc and just watch it. Again, trying to remain spoiler free, but I loved the section that was shot with a fish eye lens, those who've seen it know what I'm talking about. Such a cool way of differentiating that section of the film.

In my review of Barbarian in the Secret Satan thread, I alluded to the fact that it is perfectly fine to watch the trailers because absolutely none of them prepare you for what's in store.  I actually recommend watching the last trailer because it is so subversive.

Justin Long's New Movie | Official Trailer | Now In Theaters - YouTube

[J.T.]

YES~!

Quote

Friday the 13th is getting yet another reboot just in time for Halloween. According to Deadline, Bryan Fuller has received a straight-to-series order from Peacock for a prequel series set in the same universe where Jason Vorhees has slaughtered numerous teenagers at Camp Crystal Lake. As noted in the report, this comes after a legal battle between the team of the original film.

The Friday the 13th prequel, Crystal Lake, comes from the mind of Bryan Fuller, who helped develop Star Trek: Discovery. Fuller was reportedly in development with a Friday the 13th project since 2013. According to Deadline, Fuller will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer for the streaming series.

[J.T.]

The Pale Blue Eye | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube

The Pale Blue Eye

Directed by Scott Cooper

Starring: Christian Bale, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton

[J.T.]

I am bummed.  The general theater release of M3GAN will have a rating of PG-13.  I was sorta hoping for an R.  Hopefully there will be an unrated cut made available on streaming services.

[RIPPA]

The weird twerking doll thing is always gonna be a R rating in my mind

[RIPPA]

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey is going to get a one-day release in theaters (Feb 15)

It will also get some sort of release in the UK, Canada and Mexico (it is a little unclear if it is the Feb 15 date or something else)

It appears they are trying to push "cult movie" status before it even comes out

[Dolfan in NYC]

If you're willing to indulge me....  My friends and I have wrapped up the second season of our queer/supernatural horror series Demon Doctor and are releasing it on YouTube in January.   Here's the trailer:

The entire first series is up right now for you to watch.  

I hope you like it. 

[Curt McGirt]

4 hours ago, RIPPA said:

The weird twerking doll thing is always gonna be a R rating in my mind

This. The trailer itself should be R. 

[driver]

Started watching Cabinet of... and was ambivalent until the 5th episode, that is when things picked up for me. It has been up since then. Currently on episode 7.

 

[(BP)]

I’ve watched a couple of Cabinet episodes. It’s like Del Toro was shooting for Night Gallery or Hitchcock Presents and landed a lot closer to Masters of Horror (I’m pretty sure they even both adapted Dreams in the Witch House.) I’ll keep at it, the Creepshow series took a few episode to hook me. 

I hope Mrs. Voorhees is played by someone like Angela Bettis or Katharine Isabelle in the Crystal lake show. Unless Fuller’s looking closer to the A-list, then maybe Anna Pacquin? I’d like it to be an established genre actor. 

[elizium]

My Cabinet of Curiosities power rankings:

1. The Viewing

2. Graveyard Rats

3. The Autopsy

4. The Outside

5. Lot 36

6. Pickman's Model

7. The Murmuring

8. Dreams in the Witch House

That said, pretty much every episode had something I really enjoyed about it. So being at the bottom isn't really a damnation or anything.

Edited November 2, 2022 by elizium

[elizium]

Both The Viewing and Lot 36 had long buildups towards a short payoff. The difference is with Lot 36 I kept waiting for the payoff and when it came the episode immediately ended. It would have really benefited from an extra 10-15 minutes of lore. With The Viewing, I almost didn't want them to get to the payoff. I just wanted to keep hanging out at this party in this cool ass house. Just ever escalating drug use and awesome music and Peter Weller being an awesome weirdo

[J.T.]

I just wrapped up my review of Shudder's 101 for the Secret Satan project so now I can get all caught up on Cabinet of Curiosities.

Edited November 3, 2022 by J.T.

[RIPPA]

I might have put the first trailer in the Upcoming thread and while this isn't Horror per se it probably fits better here

Troll

Directed by Roar Uthaug (Tomb Raider, The Wave)

[Dolfan in NYC]

Scream 6 is now coming in early March

 

[(BP)]

My family and in-laws went to Disney World and mercifully left me at home over Halloween weekend. So I watched a bunch of stuff.

Deadstream - I watched this because it was directed by the Winters, who made the awesome final segment of V/H/S/99. Not much to say other than it’s a found footage version of Evil Dead 2 with a wretched YouTube/Twitch streamer personality who’s been canceled resorting to spending a night by himself in a super-haunted house to get sponsorship money. He only gets paid by his sponsors if he makes it the whole night, so he throws the spark plugs from his car into the woods and locks himself in the house like a dummy. YMMV on the lead because he’s supposed to suck and he’s right in your face for 90 minutes, but there’s good atmosphere and he gets satisfyingly terrified and humiliated by all kinds of ghouls.  ***

Hellraiser 2022 - I liked this. It’s probably my third favorite Hellraiser, maybe fourth depending on if I’m in the mood for the campy stupidity of Hellraiser 3. At any rate it’s a solid entry in a mostly dismal franchise. I did feel like things were telegraphed to where I could see the next story beat coming, but I didn't put together one of the turns toward the end. I kind of wish the subplot (essentially what if Epstein had the puzzle box) had been fleshed out a bit more. If they green light a sequel I’d appreciate if my boy Butterball was invited. 
***

Zombie’s Halloween II - I saw the 2007 Halloween in a packed theater on opening night, and I liked it well enough despite an infant in the theater wailing for much of it. Zombie caught a lot of shit for making Michael a hellbilly and filling in his backstory accordingly, but none of these movies have totally worked for me beyond the first one so I’ve always been inclined to give him leeway with making an interpretation of the bones of the original story. For whatever reason I never got around to seeing the sequel until now, but it’s become a contrarian cause de celebre so I gave it a shot. 

The first twenty minutes are masterful, and while the rest of the movie doesn’t quite live up to it’s ambitions at least it has ambitions. Zombie’s carved out his niche in horror (and become a bit of a pariah) by  populating his movies with cartoonish characters with despicable worldviews who  nevertheless are put through truly awful trauma in a realistic and tragic manner. He doesn’t glorify the violence, he uses it as an empathy machine for us to identify with characters who we were repelled by moments earlier.  This is also a movie about Laurie’s trauma instead of playing lip service to the notion so that Jamie Lee Curtis can feel more dignified while acting in schlock. Scout Taylor Compton is wonderful.

Plus, shithead Loomis FTW. Malcolm McDowell’s probably the most contemptuous son of a bitch character actor in cinema and he’s bringing it. (Just looked him up. Happy to see he’s alive because I definitely thought he’d passed recently. Also he was married to Mary Steenburgen for ten years following making Time After Time???) 

Anyway this thing is far from perfect, but it just has that certain something for me like Southland Tales where it’s brimming with ideas that may not add up to a whole but are fascinatingly cobbled together. 
****

I’ll probably write up the rest tomorrow.