Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Junesploitation Day 16: New Horror!

The door may be locked, but it won't protect you!

115 comments:

  1. The Soska Sisters' AMERICAN MARY (2012, 103 min.) on Netflix Instant for the first time.

    A very stylish and confident mixture of psychological drama and body horror (with body modification sub-culture as the backdrop), "American Mary" features Katharine Isabel ("Ginger Snaps") as a broke medical student whose need for easy money takes her into the strip club of a sleazeball named Billy (Antonio Cupo). It's here that the Soskas takes Mary (along with the audience) on a different path than you'd expect from filmmakers (identical twins who also have small but prominent on-camera roles) who choose to pull their punches rather than go for easy, gross-out moments. There is gore and disturbing behavior in "American Mary," but it says something about women being the storytellers of this particular tale that the creepiest and most fucked-up scenes in the movie take place in an ornate surgeon's apartment (echoes of "Dead Ringers"?) rather than chop-chop surgery wards or the strip club's lavatory. This one easily covers multiple Junesploitation genres (Canucksploitation, Revenge, etc.) but it's the small things (like hulking bouncer Lance revealing his humanity, which contrasts with Mary's selfishness at not caring enough to visit her sick Nana until it's too late) that elevate "American Mary" from new age horror to a classic in the making. Really liked this one.

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    1. I really enjoyed American Mary when I watched it for Scary Movie Month last year. I thought the style and the music fit really well together. Katherine Isabel was great. It's pretty fuckin weird...a good weird.

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    2. I dug this one as well. Hopefully the Soska's have some good work ahead of them.

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    3. If Patrick's review of "Vendetta" is anything to go by, the potential the Soskas showed three years ago with "American Mary" has yet to be repeated. Bummer, although I'm mighty tempted to go check out "Vendetta" in the only theater in NYC showing it until Thursday night.

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  2. We Are Still Here (2015)

    Still? You said you would have one drink and then leave.

    Rarely has Patrick steered us wrong when it comes to new horror. The Babadook and It Follows are two of my favorite movies in the last 10 years. This is no exception. I go back and forth on slow burn horror and usually I'm forth. Ti West is the one that usually comes to mind. I really liked the Innkeepers but not the House of the Devil(sorry Adam). I was a much bigger fan of the Sacrament then most. The movie didn't quite feel like that. It was a little slow but you can sense the dread almost immediately. It really pays off. The last third is bonkers. I thought the performances were great and felt real. I bought the digital copy on Amazon instead of renting and I'm glad I did. Check it out. It's a scorcher! *crowd boos*

    P.S. Dammit, J.M. I'll always be #2.

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    1. Keep trying, you're bound to beat me some day... if I let you. :-P

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    4. Top three horror of the year so far. Happy people are watching this!

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  3. Housebound (2014)
    A young Kiwi woman is sentenced to house arrest in her childhood home. Problem is, it's haunted. Maybe.
    This is one of my favourite movies from 2014. I get frustrated by contemporary horror that creates great female characters only to obliterate them (looking at you, Ti West). Housebound, though, is a film with incredible empathy for its characters, without chickening out on the peril and gore. It's also really funny. There's a Teddy Ruxbin knock off that's equal parts hilarious and terrifying. One of those films where you wish it wasn't a debut, because you want to see what else the director has done as soon as the credits roll.
    Also, this has proven to be the perfect double feature with What We Do In the Shadows. New Zealand rules horror comedy.

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  4. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)

    A vicious little film. I'm not a big connoisseur of horror movies, but I found this one to be pretty good. It has a menacing villain and some very intense moments, though the characters are pretty stock horror film material. No one sticks out as being particularly interesting. Some of the directing choices were really distracting as well. This movie approaches Battlefield Earth levels of dutch angle shots. Anyway, Patrick gives a much more in depth review here on the site so if you're interested check that out.

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  5. You're Next (2013)

    I'm not gonna say a lot about this one cause if you haven't seen it, I recommend you go in not knowing much.

    I'll only give you the basic set up that I knew when I first watched: It's a home invasion horror film.
    Don't let that keep you away because it's so much better than that description. The way it handles it's sub-genre is what makes it unique.

    It's a lot of fun. Not in a barrel of laughs kind of way, but like a roller coaster.

    Don't watch a bunch of trailers, don't read a bunch of reviews. Knowing the moment to moment beats of this movie beforehand will steal some of the fun from you. If you are interested in horror at all, just watch it.

    I also recommend another film by the same director, Adam Wingard, called The Guest. It isn't really a horror it has some horror elements.
    And just like You're Next, The Guest is best seen without knowing what to expect.

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    1. Adam Wingard might be my favorite up and coming director. You're Next is great, but The Guest has really become one of my favorite movies.

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    2. You're Next is fantastic and Erin is my choice for Greatest Final Girl of all time (sorry, Amy Steel...you had a great run).

      The Guest, though? It's like Wingard had schematics and shit to engineer a flick specifically for my tastes. It's phenomenal. Dude's got a bright future ahead of him.

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    3. Adam Wingard is very quickly becoming one of my favorite new directors. Like Albert said, it's like he is reading my mind in what I want to see.

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  6. Cabin in the Woods (2012)

    I have been meaning to watch this for a long while, and it is kind of new-ish. I am a sucker for these kinds of movies and a sucker for a Joss Whedon script, even with all the quippy one liners. I was not at all surprised that I had a lot of fun with this movie. I kind of knew what to expect going into this, but there was so much more I didn't expect, which made everything that more delicious. Cabin revelled in the fact it could go bat shit crazy, but at the same time could be thoughtful at the same time.

    And I was so very happy when Bradley Whitford gives a little okay in the beginning.

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  7. Zombeavers (2014) (first time viewing)

    I'm not really sure what to say about this movie. It's fun in a stupid way. Definitely would have been better to watch with a crowd. I thought all but one of the actors did a fine job. They seemed to have fun with the roles without going too far over the top. Except for Cortney Palm (Zoe)....she almost drove me to turning it off, she was so annoying. Fun, cheap effects with the beavers as well. It's goofy, it knows it's goofy, and it worked for me.

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  8. The House of the Devil (2009)

    I've been interested in checking out this film ever since I saw Innkeepers, which I really liked. This one follows a young, pretty college student as she works a one-night babysitting job. But perhaps.... she'll get more than she bargained for *ominous music*.

    I would argue this movie doesn't work nearly as well as Innkeepers. While they are both "slow burns", Innkeepers kept me entertained with interesting dialogue between interesting characters. This movie is mostly an hour of a girl wandering around a house. When the film gets horrifying... it is indeed horrifying and there's no denying that. But it just takes far too long to get there. And before we get there, what is she so scared off? She wanders around the house terrified but nothing has yet happened! Was it an occasional creaky sound? Did I miss something? I know she was already on edge because the deal of the job changed... but is that enough to go get a knife?

    Overall, I thought the movie was ok. Horrifying when it is, but mostly just wandering around a house. Good performances though. And it was fun to see AJ Bowen (You're Next) and Tom Noonan (Late Phases) show up.

    7 Word Review.
    "Moral: Don't take care of the elderly."

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    1. I'd be hard pressed to pick a favourite between The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers - two movies I owe Mr. Bromley a debt of gratitude for introducing me to. I think Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov's shifty behaviour and general creepiness were enough to set her (and us) on edge, no?

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    2. On edge, sure. But I didn't understand why she grabbed a knife and was freaking out when there was nothing going on. Unless I missed something. Perhaps the film would benefit with a second viewing. Not a bad movie in any way. But less than I hoped for.

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    3. Innkeepers is good, but in a contest, House of the Devil would get my vote.

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    4. I'm going Innkeepers but only because the 5.1 mix is really, really creepy!

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  9. Spring (2014)

    Forget for a moment that this is the best movie I've seen for Junesploitation thus far, this was also one of the best movies I've seen this year, full stop. It's a sweet romance, a gorgeous travelogue, and a disturbing horror film all rolled into one.

    Lou Taylor Pucci is traveling through Europe after losing his parents and meets Nadia Hilker, a beautiful woman with a secret. The movie is very canny about what it reveals and when, and while some may be put off by the pace (I'm not one of those people, I was fully engaged the whole time) the location photography and strong performances alone make it worth seeking it out. While we've seen stories similar to this, it's still a thoroughly unique take on some familiar tropes. Strongly recommended.

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  10. TRICK 'R TREAT (2007, released 2009)
    Over the course of his career, Brett Ratner has been given literally hundreds of millions of dollars by the major studios to make movies.

    Conversely, writer-director Michael Dougherty has made one movie. Thank God it was this one. It is truly full of tricks AND treats for the audience, and it makes me ridiculously happy.

    My favorite flick about Halloween ever made. I watch it every year on that day, without fail.

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    1. Dougherty still promises us a follow up; we'll see. He is directing "Krampus" due in December and writing an X-Men movie so maybe that will give him the loot to do it. I'm with you - I watch this every Halloween too.

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    2. Thanks for motivating me to finally pull this off my shelf. 15 minutes in and Dylan Baker and the Bad Santa kid just showed up so I'm pretty stoked.

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    3. I would love to see a follow up to this. Trick 'r Treat is one of the best Halloween movies to come out in ages.

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    4. Chaybee, I actually heard that Legendary greenlit the sequel so hopefully after Krampus he can get on that, it'd be great -- Kyle really said it!

      Charles, I hope you have as good a time with it as a lot of us have, man!

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    5. Trick 'r Treat is so good! Absolutely a must watch for Halloween!

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    6. I feel like this movie often gets laughed off as a joke and I don't understand why. I think it's freaking awesome!

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  11. It Follows (2014)

    Used this as an opportunity to finally catch up with It Follows after I missed it in theaters. Loved the high concept approach and the way it was used to talk about themes like sexuality and mortality, and really enjoyed the way it wore its influences on its sleeve (I tasted Carpenter and Craven most). The visuals were very pretty particularly considering the low budget, and the ambient score helped create a palpable tension that pervaded most of the movie. Had a few small problems like the few empty jump scares and occasional minor pacing issues, but overall I really liked it. I don't put much stock in this type of comparison, but I think I'd rank it right below The Babadook in terms of modern horror. I can understand the "backlash" of folks being underwhelmed after all the "hype" (god I hate hype talk), but personally I'd definitely still recommend it.

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    1. Even with all the hype around it, the more I hear about it the more it intrigues me. Just another movie for the list.

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    2. My favorite horror movie of the year so far.

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  12. The Babadook (2014) - First viewing

    I assume everyone here at least knows of The Babadook, so I'll be brief. A hugely effective film. To me, it works better as a metaphor rather than a simple story, but the movie works either way. Definitely one of the best horror films in recent memory.

    Not being a parent (I'm an uncle though), I can only imagine how much more The Babadook would have upset me if I were.

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    1. I second that Gabby. This was one of my favorite movies of last year....at least in the top 3.

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    2. The Babadook is a great psychological horror film. The mother-son relationship really had an effect on me.

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    3. Probably my favorite movie of 2014, if not Guardians of the Galaxy. If you want to dig deep in that metaphorical thing you were talking about, I'm sure there's no shortage of long form articles on the web about it. Happy to hear you enjoyed it despite all the hype!

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  13. Joy Ride 3: Roadkill (2014)

    What a pleasant surprise this was for me. I wasn’t expecting too much starting up the 2nd DTV sequel of the original Joy Ride and while its definitely not as good as the original it does exactly what you want a DTV sequel of Joy Ride to do. Rusty Nails (played by Ken Kirzinger-a Jason Voorhees vet) torments some teenagers on the road after they cut him off screwing around with their car. These kids will just never learn, don’t mess with the truckers or they have to kill you violently-it’s the truckers code. While the kills are fun and virtually all practical (which in DTV movies is always the best way to go) I do miss the creepy CB calls of Rusty from the first movie as this movie doesn’t quite do it (My Dad still hates hearing “Candy Cane”). If your looking for a solid trucker/slasher film give this one a whirl- its better then the box art would tell you.

    8 Word Review (In Preparation for SMM)

    “The Claw's best cameo since Toy Story 3”

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  14. INSIDE THE GIRLS (2014)

    A group of girls at a posh boarding school suspect their dorm might be haunted, so cue the freaky weird stuff happening. But, is it a ghost, or is it someone unscrupulous at the school? After some nifty haunted house bits at the beginning, the movie settles in for more of a thriller/suspense/whodunit vibe, never really exploding into horror craziness. The movie is beautifully filmed (Susperia is a big influence) but forgettable.

    Accompanying short film: THE DOOR (2014). A woman is alone in her house when the sky goes completely dark in the middle of the day, and then strange creatures show up outside. Very cool, and reminiscent of The Mist.

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  15. DAYBREAKERS (2010)
    Probably the vampire flick I love more than all others from the last decade. It's right up my alley in pretty much every concievable way, and -- right along with Cabin In The Woods' lobby scene -- has one of the single greatest moments of carnage and insanity in a long time, if not ever. At least in my estimation. Just a stellar flick.

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    1. Great choice. Really underrated movie.

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    2. I really like Daybreakers too. I especially like the Spierig Brothers' first film, Undead. Predestination, their latest film, is pretty fascinating. It's on video now.

      Of course, since it's an Australian film, it had to have a Thunderbird in it. (I think it was a Thunderbird, I haven't seen it in awhile.) All Ozploitation is carsploitation, it seems.

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  16. EXISTS (2014)

    Yes, it's found footage. No, I can't tell you why this group of beautiful young people is filming any of this, and by "this" I mean being stalked and bludgeoned to death by a Sasquatch. But, for what it is, which is a low budget found footage movie, "Exists" was an enjoyable way to spend 81 minutes.

    It helps that director Eduardo Sanchez knows how to balance what and what not to show. Sanchez pretty much invented "found footage" way back in 1999 when he created "The Blair Witch Project," a movie that, in my mind, has held up pretty well. In particular, that movie's creepy, somewhat enigmatic ending is simply great.

    I'm not sure there's anything in "Exists" that quite matches that restraint. In fact, Sanchez really doesn't hold anything back here, giving us plenty of opportunities to stare into the fuzzy eyes of greasy-haired Bigfoot who, quite frankly, could quite easily be mistaken for metal singer Danzig on a bad day.

    There are some fairly frightening scenes. There's a sequence in the basement of a cabin, the monster raging in the room above, that I found nicely suspenseful. And there's a great short crawl through a hole in the ground that set off my inner claustrophobic.

    A quick thought about found footage in general: I'm not sure why directors don't just drop the found footage conceit altogether. Keep the lo-fi, handheld aesthetic if they must ... even shoot most of it from the perspective of the characters. But just drop the whole, "Dude, I gotta get this on film" thing. It's distracting.

    "Exists" isn't great, but it's entertaining enough given its short run time. I'd recommend it if you have a high tolerance for found footage or like Danzig. I mean, Bigfoot.

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    1. Great Pick! Although I gotta say I was a little disappointed by Exists in the wake of the more effective recent bigfoot movie Willow Creek. Have you seen that one?

      Something about they way they shot the bigfoot action in Exists was a little silly to me. Seeing a bigfoot running at top speed in broad daylight was a little weird. #Sasquatchploitation

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    2. If you haven't, check out Sanchez's best movie, Lovely Molly. One of the most slept on movies from a few years ago. It gave me faith that he can make a real movie.

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    3. You're right about Lovely Molly. Totally underseen and awesome. But I could say the same about Seventh Moon as well (shiver).

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    4. HA! That film is so terribly made I forgot I had even seen it and that it was Sanchez. Geeez, you know, was so impressed with his advancement with "Molly" including tackling new subject matter and half-ass getting away from FF, that when I saw Exists I was so disappointed.

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    5. Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't seen any of Sanchez's movies beyond Blair Witch and Exists, but I'm excited to check out what else he's done. \

      Willow Creek's been on my to-see list since I first read about it, but I haven't had a chance to see it. I definitely have to seen that 20 minute tent scene people keep talking about.

      I enjoyed the silliness of "Exists." It's dumb, but kind of fun. And it's too short to wear out its welcome. The ending kind of fell flat for me, though. It's like Sanchez said, "We're done" and literally set the carmea down on the ground and walked away.

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  17. The Babadook (2014)

    Scared the crap out of me! I found it genuinely terrifying. It taps into loads of parental fears and insecurities in a way I have never experienced before. It's brilliantly made too. Excellent performances, a really great use of sound (or lack of) and that book is just amazing.

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  18. Frankenstein’s Army (2013, dir. Richard Raaphorst) (First Time Viewing): I needed this after the heaviness of Naked Lunch and El Topo. Unlike those there is no substance to this movie, and that’s ok. It’s a trip through one of the coolest haunted houses imaginable. Frankenstein’s grandson has run amok aiding the Nazis during WW2 by creating an army of monsters. The creature designs are some of the wildest in recent memory and they are all practical effects. Mosquito man was probably my favorite, but Teddy Bear girl was also pretty memorable. I’ll say no more, you have to see it for yourself. Yes, you have to suspend a TON of disbelief for this movie to work; after all it’s a found footage movie set during WW2… but hey it is exactly what I needed at this point during Junesploitation. Loved it.

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  19. Burying the Ex (2014) Dir. the once great Joe Dante - DAMN YOU, DANTE!!!

    Spoiler free unless you care about awful jokes.

    Oh boy. I knew from the opening scene that I was in for a shitty and tasteless junkfest of a movie. The first "joke" is that a slacker, white dude just had a threesome with two black girls with names like Laquisha and Lashonda because that's funny, right? He then uses the phrase "bust a nut" and later "single and ready to mingle" so I guess that's his thing? F-ing Hilarious. It only gets worse from there. Luckily Daddario shows up early so there's that. When the "horror" aspect starts, it's too late and doesn't matter. The movie has already sucked you out any hope of it getting better due to a god awful script. Dante is bored, doesn't care and I have no idea what demographic this movie was made for. My wife watched it with me and thought it was woeful as well. If your doing a Horror/Comedy - make it funny. We never once cracked a smile. Maybe 12 years old who get to sneak into an R rated film will dig it.

    Shitsploitation!

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    1. Btw - this was Spoiler free cause it hits the US this Friday. The UK Blu-Ray has been out for quite a while.

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    2. I still have to see it. It's Joe Dante. We'll see what happens.

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    3. That was my thought exactly. Get ready!

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    4. Okay, haha, I've been warned!

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  20. Another one for The Baba Dook Dook Dook

    JB's choice for new horror, its a beautiful looking and sounding movie, the performances are amazing, we need more unique movies like this,
    Australia going for gold with this and Housebound
    Loved um both

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    1. LOVED Housebound. My thoughts on Babadook have been documented here before but I did say I would revisit during SMM and still plan to.

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    2. Housebound's another interesting one.

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    3. This doesn't just apply to horror, but whenever I hear that an upcoming movie is out of Australia I'm basically 110% on board. They've been killing it lately.

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    4. Agreed, Andy. Have you seen Wolf Creek 2 yet?

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    5. Isn't Housebound from New Zealand?

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    6. It is, indeed. And you should never, ever, confuse Kiwi Horror with an Aussie. Zoe Bell wouldn't like it.

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    7. Oh. Right.

      ... and you should never, ever, confuse Kiwi Horror with an Aussie. Patrick's girlfriend Zoe Bell wouldn't like it.

      Sorry, Patrick.

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    8. Fair enough on the country of origin, but New Zealand falls under the same rule as Australia.

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    9. And no I haven't seen Wolf Creek 2 but it's going on the list.

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    10. No problem, whatsoever.

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    11. As a kiwi living in Australia I completely agree!! You cannot be mixing your peas with your carrots :).

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  21. My Bloody Valentine (2009)
    Two weeks ago, I revisited the Evil Dead remake. I've had some reservations about it since the theater, but I liked it well enough to buy it. I found my previous quibbles didn't bother me as much as they once did, and I had more fun with it. Hell, even Ash liked it and pronounced it "Groovy." I'd been way too hung up on comparing it with The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, I had issues with Mia's "registered nurse" and her brother, and I felt the homages to The Exorcist and Night of the Demons were out of place. Not so much now.

    Well, my happy reacquaintance with Evil Dead gave me the idea to give the remake of My Bloody Valentine another shot.

    I outright loathed My Bloody Valentine (2009) when I saw it theatrically. Even the presence of Tom Atkins couldn't assuage my scorn. It wasn't the gore; I loved the gore. It was the plot. More so, it was the dialogue. Every five or ten minutes, a character would lament the passage of time. "What happened ten years ago..." "You haven't been here in ten years!" "Since you left ten years ago..." "Harry Warden's been dead and gone for ten years!" UGH. I was already imagining the drinking game while I watching the movie. If you took a shot at every ten year mention, you'd be soused or dead by film's end.
    Why even put a Ten Years Later title card in the film? We get it. It's ten years later.

    Well, I did manage to have more fun with it, and I was able to "just stand down, godammit." I still prefer the original, particularly the unrated version. I have to give it up to Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer. They make a good team. I think Todd helped Lussier find his footing as a filmmaker, and their follow-up collaborative effort, Drive Angry, is even better. (It would make for a fun watch on Carsploitation Day; I wholeheartedly recommend it.)

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    1. Tarantino Fun Fact: The original My Bloody Valentine is Quentin's favorite slasher film. At least at the time he was asked.

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    2. At least the characters in the remake bothered to find out that Harry Warden was dead.
      The problem(s) with the first movie is how do you believe that the characters decide to have a Valentine's party after all those years of being scared shitless to try and yet some how calling the institution where he was being held isn't the FIRST thing they do? To give them a heads up if nothing else?
      Although, if the last information they had on Harry was that he was in custody why were they afraid to have the party all of those years?
      But then, Happy the bartender - who was personally involved in the rescue so we know he was around to see it - says that Harry was on the loose and free to come back any time.
      (Spoilers ahead)
      In fact, Happy likes telling this story in front of these young people who have spent their entire life in this small town (where the population numbers in four digits that I can't make out on my copy)...including Axel whose father was killed by Harry!!!! Happy should know that. In fact, why doesn't everyone in that bar know that? How do you keep that a secret in a small town?
      That reveal of the killer makes the paramedic in Friday the 13th Part 5 look inspired.

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  22. Asmodexia (2014)

    Spanish demon possession flick is well shot and acted, but ultimately unsatsfying. The deliberately oblique storytelling makes it impossible to get invested in any of the characters, because we're never sure of anyone's motives. It's one of those movies that's maddenly vague for 95% of the running time, only to spend the last 5 minutes dumping exposition on us.

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    1. I loved this film. I can see your points though, Steve. This was on my top ten horror list last year and had a lot to do with the fact that it was surprisingly atmospheric, you had no idea where it was going and was well made.

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    2. I'm glad you liked it, and it is atmospheric as hell (no pun intended).

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  23. Mama: What a way to kick off the day! I saw this as soon as I got up. Chastain is so great but holy cow that ending? It's balsy.

    Insidious: I liked this one a lot. Rose Burn, she is in it so yes. I like the dynamic between fighting for your childs life and creeky hallways.

    Insidious Chapter 2: Hmm. Watching these two back to back is unfortunate way to watch this. Patrick Wilson did some cool possession acting though. Slightly Psycho rip offy and a rad transphobic? I can listen to the podcasts now!

    Would you Rather: I really like Brittany Snow. If any of you have a minute, give her campaign Love is Louder some time. This was interesting as I like these settings but it is definitely not Cheap Thrills or You're Next. Not bad though.

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    1. No doubt Chastain is great in Mama! I really wanted to like the movie but once they show "mama" and the CGI-fest begins, it completely took me out of the film. Nice quadruple feature day!

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    2. I am leaving the insidious movies and conjuring for scarey movie month - this day has given me a looooong list

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  24. Insidious Chapter 2: The Back to the Future Part II of horror.

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  25. Suicide Club (2001, Sion Sono)

    While the central ideas are every bit as existentially upsetting as they were when I first saw this movie over a decade ago, the construction of those themes is a lot more shoddy than I ever noticed.

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  26. MAMA (2013)
    Damn, Gabby got there ahead of me with this AND two others I was gonna do! Well, great minds and all...;)

    Nice to know I'm not alone in my love for this. Chastain and the girls = awesome.

    Mama = SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME.
    Ridiculously effective sound design.

    Just a winner of a flick for me.

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  27. You're Next (2013)

    Always a fun watch. Wingard continues to show that he's one of the young masters of genre filmmaking. While some of the performances lacked a bit, Sharni Vinson is a bright light from beginning to end. Simple in premise and light on plot, what stands out is it's subtle twist on convention, beautiful cinematography, clever dialogue and inventive kills......and an arrow in Joe Swanburg's back. Every Joe Swanburg movie should feature an arrow in his back.

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  28. We Are Still Here (2015)

    It was fitting that I also watched The House By The Cemetary this month since this film definitely borrows a little from it. I thought the pacing was great as it peeled away layers as the movie goes along with a third act that goes nuts! I'm really enjoying this run of great indie horror recently.

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  29. Stage Fright (2014)

    I took the Adam Thas/Heath Holland challenge and rented Stage Fright. First of all, thank you two gentlemen. You made my night. That movie was a ton of fun. I really want to see it again soon because the script seemed to have a lot of early things that paid off later, and I'd love to see what I missed. There were a couple spots toward the end where I could quibble with the execution but I won't because I enjoyed the movie anyway. By the way, not sure if I mentioned this but, "I'm Gay!"

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  30. Under the Skin 2013

    This is something special - a beautifully unsettling and unique science-fiction/horror movie like nothing I've ever seen (or heard!) before. I'm sure I'll find myself thinking about it for days to come.

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  31. Hatchet (2006)

    After deciding to go on a nighttime haunted boat tour of the bayou, the boat sinks, and a group of bickering tourists have to watch out for the Hatchet wielding Victor Crowley! Funnier than I was expecting and a lot of great practical effects. Definitely check it out if you haven't seen it already.

    Jurassic World (2015)

    I know this is technically listed as a sci-fi action-adventure, but I saw the original Jurassic Park in theaters when I was 5. It was one of two movies that I saw as a kid that gave me nightmares. (The second was the Ghost in the Darkness...I'm noticing a theme of what scared me as a child). So, while there was some intense moments in Jurassic World, I was just reminded of when I was afraid a T-Rex was going to eat me.

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  32. May (2002)

    This was one of the few times I went into a film knowing absolutely, positively NOTHING about it. What a true joy that is. And for the sake of that joy, I will saying nothing about the plot of the film. I'll simply say the film is incredible. Patrick called it a masterpiece in his last article, and I'm inclined to think he's right. It's moving. It's heartbreaking. It's shocking. It's disturbing. I think one of the hardest things to swallow about the film is what it says about how we treat people around us who are different. May we all be kinder and more understanding to those around us. What a weird thing to say about a horror film. I'm just really affected and shook up right now. I should go watch an episode of community before bed so I'll feel better. Bottom line, the film is amazing.

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  33. Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (2008)
    Never quite achieves the brilliance of Troma. It tries.
    I liked the first group of malcontents, and the first movie, much more.

    Stitches (2012)
    A party clown is accidentally killed at a boy's birthday party. Six years later, that kid invites the same friends over for another birthday party. They in turn invite their own friends. Now it's a party, right? Nope. One of the kid's party invitations gets swept away by the wind and lands on the clown's grave, and in true E.C. Comics fashion, the clown accepts the unfortunate invite. Once he's at the party, he does all the usual clown tricks... with teen body parts. Not half bad, if I do say so myself.

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  34. Afflicted (2013)
    Damned found footage, but at least it serves a purpose this time. That aside, this film really surprised me in a very good way. The story is a little fractured and not the most logical, but it gets surprisingly scary, very graphic and gory and has some really great creepy (literally) effects and also some good action sequences. This looks like they have spent there budget wisely on excellent effects I didn´t expected in this kind of film.

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    1. I'm with you - I cannot stand FF. This was definitely one of the more decent ones.

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    2. Have you guys seen The Vicious Bros.' "Grave Encounters" movies? They're basically low-budget "REC" knockoffs, but they're pretty well done and come up with as good an excuse as any for there to be cameras constantly recording. I'm not recommending it, but if Oliver liked "Afflicted" that much then maybe "Grave Encounters" (the first more than the second, which really stretches its premise) could be right up your alley.

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    3. Yep, those are decent ones also except that main guy is really annoying. If we're talking about "good" FF movies of the past few years, I'm one of the few who dug "As Above, So Below"; I think "Chronicle" was ambitious for what it was and played a nice trick with the FF angle, I hate to say it but I really liked "Paranormal Activity 3" (I do not like the others), "Resolution", "Trollhunter", "The Conspiracy" and "VHS 2" also had it's merits.

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    4. I heard about the Vicious Bros but haven´t seen anything yet. I will look out for Grave Encounters.
      Cloverfield and Chronicle are the good ones for me. There are some where it also works quite well but mostly I hate that gimmick as much as I hate 3D and HFR...

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    5. You should also check out Willow Creek if you haven't seen it. It blatantly rips of The Blair Witch Project, but I actually kinda like that because it was trying to get back to basics. If nothing else it's worth watching for the 20 minute one-shot scene.

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  35. Would You Rather 2012

    Saw this movie on Netflix and it looked interesting so I watched it. The premise is a young girl along with a group of strangers play a high stakes game of would you rather orchestrated by this rich guy played by Jefferey Combs. The movie starts off very strong in my opinion particularly in the early stages of the game. Jeffery Combs was the most entertaining part of the film. There's isn't much to the movie so I don't wanna say to much. Stick it in your Netflix que and check it out when you get time.

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  36. The Squad (2011, dir. Jaime Osorio Marquez)

    I mean, I don't know. Whatever. Maybe I'm just getting worn out. The movie is fine but I've already completely forgotten it. Like Dog Soldiers but without the werewolves or any cool shit. The last shot is kind of creepy, but the monochromatic piss brown color palette really started to bum me out after a while. I don't know if it's the movie's fault or if this is just a cry for help.

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  37. Insidious Chapter 3 (2015):

    I liked it, although going with a friend who was on edge, jumping at all the right places and even yelling out made for a more fun experience... For me! Definitely check it out if you liked the first two instalments!

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    1. I went and saw this this week also. I feel like this movie had more jump scares than any I've seen in the past few years. I was constantly having mini heart attacks. It was entertaining.

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  38. Djinn (2013, dir. Tobe Hooper)

    Weird! A United Arab Emirates-set ripoff of Rosemary's Baby, directed by Tobe Hooper. Nobody saw this, and it's really bad. It's essentially a J-horror picture, and looks like it had a budget of $5000. Half the dialogue is in Arabic, and the end credits are in both English and Arabic; so if you ever wondered how to write "Tobe Hooper" in Arabic, that'll help you out. Trailer.

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  39. Stage Fright (2014)

    SUPER fun and entertaining. I love musicals so I liked the fact that the movie focused more on that aspect, and while the horror wasn't scary, it was fun and it worked. I liked most of the songs and knowing people like that I thought that the movie was actually really funny. I'm really glad that this movie was recommended and I look forward to watching it again.

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  41. Drag Me To Hell (2009)

    Totally forgot to post this one up! Probably has something to do with the strange button I was given by a gypsy woman with one eye this morning.,.

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