Saw "Cruise" last night and it's a really, really frustrating film. The first 45 minutes I was all in, it was actually shaping up to be one of my favorites of the year (still might be, I'm digesting it) and then it goes to places that were completely unnecessary instead of keeping the momentum and character building with the relationship of the two leads.
Also watched Jeremy Saulnier and Macon Blair's latest "Hold the Dark". These guys are from my area and I'm so happy that they cast the great DC native, Jeffrey Wright. He was really good in this as I anticipated. Pretty good flick.
Getting pretty hyped to hang with everybody for #SMM. My local heroes, The Salt Lake Film Society have theatrical programming that is really great this year. It includes 'The Old Dark House' (1932). JB's writing introduced me to this one and I'm so thankful! It's about as great as you'd expect from peak James Whale working with an all-timer cast.
I got done working on one of my first editing projects this week. It's for one of my bands, Payout Beast. I'd be psyched if anyone wanted to check it out.
Thanks Chaybee! congrats on your new album. We've got some more live stuff on Bandcamp - https://payoutbeast.bandcamp.com/releases. It's pretty lo-fi. We've got a proper album in the can that I'm really proud of. It should be out in the next couple months. In the meantime, I'll be releasing videos from this performance for the next few weeks.
My SMM list has taken an odd turn. At first I was going to start with the 1920's and then work my way up with a few movies from each decade. Then after ended up with two Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movies early on, I thought maybe it would be fun to do one Jekyll and Hyde movie in each decade. At that point I decided I might as well go all-in on Jekyll and Hyde and have found 21 movies available for viewing (so they will end up at probably around half my total viewing).
As SMM month is a fun bit of escapism, I know we don't want to get too topical about the actual horror show we've got going on right now, but I do think there's something oddly topical in a story about a man in a position of privilege who doesn't see the problem in having a drink and unleashing his unrestrained evil on the people around him. I'm looking forward to seeing some different interpretations of the story.
Normally, I'd come up with a full list of movies to watch, but in this case the other half of my viewing will just be whatever I feel like watching at the time.
I was going to do something similar. Then I went on a 1990s 30s throw back wormhole. So I'm planning to watch the 90s Universal Monster movies. I haven't seen 92's Dracula or 94s Frankenstien since they came out.
After a quiet week last week, I saw plenty of stuff this week.
I was at the drive-in last night with a triple-bill of early '70s low-budget horror: Deranged (1974), Terror House/Terror at the Red Wolf Inn (1972), and The Severed Arm (1973). The fog rolled in for The Severed Arm, unfortunately, but I like what I saw of it. Needless to say, it was a fun chilly night. I am coming back for more mayhem tonight with The Toolbox Murders and Drive-In Massacre.
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) – Tyrone Power, one of the biggest movie stars of the 1940s, delivers a distinctly anti-movie star performance in this noir gem. Power plays an ambitious mentalist who, in the usual noir style, gets in over his head with in his schemes. All of the cast give intense performances, and the black-and-white cinematography is superb. The cyclical arc of the story, moreover, adds an interesting element to the film. This is a top watch for 2018.
THE SHOW (1926, dir. Tod Browning) – Browning depicted the sideshow world of the circus in several films. The Show is probably the most obscure of them, but it remains very watchable after nearly a century. John Gilbert, one of the top romantic leading actors of the 1920s, definitely goes against type as an unscrupulous ladies’ man working as a “talker” and a performer for the sideshow. Melodrama ensues that is full of the plot twists that make a Browning film fun.
THIEVES’ HIGHWAY (1949, dir. Jules Dassin) – A strong cast and the direction of one the era’s top crime directors make this noir story of shady dealings in the fruit market memorable. Lee J. Cobb stands out as the less than honest fruit merchant.
THE AMBUSHERS (1967) and THE WRECKING CREW (1969) – The third and fourth films of the spy spoof Matt Helm franchise are full of 1960s escapism and style. Although Dean Martin in the lead role does strain believability (if that is even a valid consideration for these kind of films), he has a charm that carries him through the nonsense on the screen. I enjoyed The Ambushers more solely on the kitsch factor. Both films are heavy on female eye candy.
I pulled out my collection a small pile of horror DVDs and blu-rays I have not gotten around to watching yet for SMM. I do not have any clear plans for my October viewing, but I will definitely try to get through a few of the Phantasm films. I probably will kick off the month with The Beyond, which I still have not seen.
It's been a very stressful couple of weeks for me, but I'm happy to finally have the weekend to relax and prepare for SMM. I've got my pile of movies I want to watch and I'm sure there will be plenty more I'll be streaming.
As for stuff I've seen lately, I managed to catch house with a clock in it's walls in IMAX, so I got to see Thriller in 3D. After Adam's piece on it, I made it a point to check it out. It was wonderful and house with a clock in it's walls was just flat out delightful and what I needed during a stressful week.
Checked out Murder party from Jeremy Saulnier and for a guy's first movie with no budget, it was good. Planning on checking out hold the dark soon, hearing mostly good things.
Finally, I just watched Inferno for the first time and loved it! It's borderline nonsense, but it was crazy and the visuals rivaled Suspiria.
I'm doing a mostly VHS SMM this October. I mentioned this in an eariler post - Earlier this year I made the awful decision to start collecting VHS again. I gave away something like 500 tapes back in the early 90's thinking I would just be happy upgrading to Laserdisc, DVD,and ultimately Blu Ray only to recently regret this. I do not recommend collecting tapes again as it comes with it's problems including bad tapes, storage, cleaning the heads of VCR's and waaaaaay over priced titles. Still, It's a lot of fun tracking down these old titles and revisiting these films as I saw them as a kid. Personally, I'd rather see "The Gates of Hell" as I watched it when I rented it as an 8 year old than seeing it restored in perfect HD. This is not a popular opinion and I totally get it. Regardless, SMM is going to be a lot of fun given the interactive and nostalgic experience. Up to over 200 tapes at the moment.
Saw the picture you posted on Twitter a couple weeks back of your VHS tapes. Looks like it should be a fun SMM for you. Like you I got rid of pretty much all my old VHS stuff (as much due to a lack of space as anything). I do still have Phantom of the Paradise though and Bad Taste (still sealed in plastic).
Third year participating. I was so pumped I started early and just finished, what I feel like is going to be hard to rival, and thats Mandy. This year has some solid ones Im ready to indulge in.
Getting very excited for Monday. Very excited. I saw The Nun, which I personally kinda liked, even though that movie goes very Goonies, even though it goes goofy I still had a good time with it. I also watched The House with the Clock in it's Walls, again another movie I had a great time with. And last night I saw Jeremy Saulnier's new movie on Netflix, another movie I'm going to be fan of despite early reviews. I think it's really interesting and I'm going to have to watch it again because I don't think I took all of it in. But bring on Scary Movie Month!!!!!!
Saw 21 movies in theaters in the past week, 18 of the at the Helsinki International Film Festival. Here's a few of them:
Good Manners, a werewolf movie from Brazil, is beautiful and takes its time, but also pulls the rug from under the audience a couple of times. I love a movie you can't predict.
Pity, a Greek movie co-written by the writer of The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is a bizarre tale about a man who becomes addicted to sorrow and pity, and goes to great lengths to get his fix.
Anna and the Apocalypse is a British high school musical zombie comedy. Nothing revolutionary but it's a fun romp and the lead, Ella Hunt, is excellent.
Black '47 is an Irish revenge "western" set in the great famine in the 1840's. James Frecheville as the stoic avenger and Hugo Weaving as the reluctant man sent after him are phenomenal.
Under the Tree is a great little black comedy from Iceland about bickering neighbors whose row slowly escalates into new heights.
The Guilty is a Danish thriller that's similar to Locke in that the whole movie is one guy talking on the phone. Here it's a cop answering 911 calls and getting a little too personally invested in a kidnapping case. The movie keeps you at the edge of your seat for the entirety of its 85-minute runtime. The Guilty might be my favorite movie of the fest.
And I don't have to tell you guys about Mandy and Searching, both are great.
Of the non-festival movies, I wanna mention Border, a Swedish movie from Ali Abbasi, the director of the horror movie Shelley (if that means anything to anyone here), and Sweden's submission for next yer's foreign language Oscar. It's about being different and fitting in, it's about belonging, it's about knowing your roots, and it's a really bizarre movie. Recommended to see it with as little knowledge as possible.
We've been spoiled the last few years by having Oct 1st on a weekend. I'm going to watch my inaugural movie at midnight tonight (They Live, for the first time), but will have to stop there. I usually go from midnight til 6 or 7 am on the first. Oh well.
Anyway, this year I plan on doing a double feature once a week with a classic, followed by it's own remake. I've missed just about every remake, so I'll be interested to see what they've got going for them. I'm doing this for 70/80s movies and their 2000s remakes. Friday the 13th, Carrie, the Hitcher, Texas Chainsaw, Evil Dead. This will either be an interesting experiment, or a horrible mistake.
Normally I get off at 10pm on Sundays, but I’m stuck working til midnight. Had planned to start off with Mandy, just not sure if my brain can handle it after a ten hour shift. Maybe I’ll finish one of the slashers from Junesploitation
Last year my mother was convalescent and on her dying bed throughout October before she passed away by month's end. Missed the entire SMM festivity for the first time since it started. Can't say I'm pumped about this year's (still miss my mother terribly! :'(), but I will participate as much as I can while getting crazy OT at work. Wish me luck! :-)
Thanks, guys. Yep, October is kind of tainted by mom passing away, but that hasn't kept me from enjoying horror movies in which people die in horrible and entertaining ways in the 12 months since. Time to man-up and enjoy some seven-word review mayhem. :-P
I started the month early on Monday, already watched ten movies.
The Monster Squad: It had probably been close to 20 years since I had watched this one. Lots of fun but not a favorite. Definitely like Night of the Creeps better.
Get Out: Second viewing, this is just an instant horror classic.
Mandy: Nick Cage snoring a pile of coke off a shard of glass is the greatest thing I've seen this week.
Jackals: Totally skippable unless you just love The Strangers.
Suspiria: Saw this one years and years ago and found it incredibly overrated. This time it clicked much better. The plot is almost nonsense, but of if you wanted to write a text book on lighting, couldn't find a better place to start.
Don't Look Now: This was a rewatch for a Next Picture podcast on a double feature of this and Hereditary. First time I saw it I was bored and left cold, this time I appreciated more for what they we're going for. That opening shot is masterful.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?: Saw this on a list of 60s horror and I just happened to have it laying around. Wouldn't really call it horror although it does have elements.
The Fall of the House of Usher: Vincent f'n Price
Hereditary: This is my kind of horror movie. Doesn't rely on jump scares, just mood and atmosphere. When you can make a click cause the hair to stand up on the back on my neck, you've accomplished something truly scary.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage: I'm not a giallo fan, but I will keep trying.
I’m watching the Big Giveaway Sunday night, and then I’ll be free.
ReplyDeleteTook off work Monday, not even kidding. :)
ReplyDeleteSaw "Cruise" last night and it's a really, really frustrating film. The first 45 minutes I was all in, it was actually shaping up to be one of my favorites of the year (still might be, I'm digesting it) and then it goes to places that were completely unnecessary instead of keeping the momentum and character building with the relationship of the two leads.
Also watched Jeremy Saulnier and Macon Blair's latest "Hold the Dark". These guys are from my area and I'm so happy that they cast the great DC native, Jeffrey Wright. He was really good in this as I anticipated. Pretty good flick.
I took off work on Monday and Tuesday
DeleteSweet!
DeleteI had taken the next 2 days off, but had to push them back to next week, glad to hear its not so strange afterall. #singlelife
DeleteGetting pretty hyped to hang with everybody for #SMM. My local heroes, The Salt Lake Film Society have theatrical programming that is really great this year. It includes 'The Old Dark House' (1932). JB's writing introduced me to this one and I'm so thankful! It's about as great as you'd expect from peak James Whale working with an all-timer cast.
ReplyDeleteI got done working on one of my first editing projects this week. It's for one of my bands, Payout Beast. I'd be psyched if anyone wanted to check it out.
https://youtu.be/WIYHDBk6Q8g
See y'all in October!
Yo! I love it man, excellent! Do you have any albums on Bandcamp or anywhere?
DeleteThanks Chaybee! congrats on your new album. We've got some more live stuff on Bandcamp - https://payoutbeast.bandcamp.com/releases.
DeleteIt's pretty lo-fi. We've got a proper album in the can that I'm really proud of. It should be out in the next couple months. In the meantime, I'll be releasing videos from this performance for the next few weeks.
Awesome man and thanks! I'll be keeping watch for that record and the vids for sure!
DeleteCharlie man that was excellent! Really cool sound and nice work on the edit.
DeleteSLFS has a great lineup this year. Hopefully I'll bump into at the Tower sometime this month!
Thanks hibachi!
DeleteMy SMM list has taken an odd turn. At first I was going to start with the 1920's and then work my way up with a few movies from each decade. Then after ended up with two Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movies early on, I thought maybe it would be fun to do one Jekyll and Hyde movie in each decade. At that point I decided I might as well go all-in on Jekyll and Hyde and have found 21 movies available for viewing (so they will end up at probably around half my total viewing).
ReplyDeleteAs SMM month is a fun bit of escapism, I know we don't want to get too topical about the actual horror show we've got going on right now, but I do think there's something oddly topical in a story about a man in a position of privilege who doesn't see the problem in having a drink and unleashing his unrestrained evil on the people around him. I'm looking forward to seeing some different interpretations of the story.
Normally, I'd come up with a full list of movies to watch, but in this case the other half of my viewing will just be whatever I feel like watching at the time.
I was going to do something similar. Then I went on a 1990s 30s throw back wormhole. So I'm planning to watch the 90s Universal Monster movies. I haven't seen 92's Dracula or 94s Frankenstien since they came out.
DeleteLindsay, WOLF will be right on your theme then. Not good, but super weird and singular.
DeleteOh it's on the list. That and Hollowman. Which I'm sure if thats a good idea or not.
DeleteHonestly, you gotta watch off-the-wall stuff in October. Go forth brave soldier. ;)
DeleteAfter a quiet week last week, I saw plenty of stuff this week.
ReplyDeleteI was at the drive-in last night with a triple-bill of early '70s low-budget horror: Deranged (1974), Terror House/Terror at the Red Wolf Inn (1972), and The Severed Arm (1973). The fog rolled in for The Severed Arm, unfortunately, but I like what I saw of it. Needless to say, it was a fun chilly night. I am coming back for more mayhem tonight with The Toolbox Murders and Drive-In Massacre.
NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) – Tyrone Power, one of the biggest movie stars of the 1940s, delivers a distinctly anti-movie star performance in this noir gem. Power plays an ambitious mentalist who, in the usual noir style, gets in over his head with in his schemes. All of the cast give intense performances, and the black-and-white cinematography is superb. The cyclical arc of the story, moreover, adds an interesting element to the film. This is a top watch for 2018.
THE SHOW (1926, dir. Tod Browning) – Browning depicted the sideshow world of the circus in several films. The Show is probably the most obscure of them, but it remains very watchable after nearly a century. John Gilbert, one of the top romantic leading actors of the 1920s, definitely goes against type as an unscrupulous ladies’ man working as a “talker” and a performer for the sideshow. Melodrama ensues that is full of the plot twists that make a Browning film fun.
THIEVES’ HIGHWAY (1949, dir. Jules Dassin) – A strong cast and the direction of one the era’s top crime directors make this noir story of shady dealings in the fruit market memorable. Lee J. Cobb stands out as the less than honest fruit merchant.
THE AMBUSHERS (1967) and THE WRECKING CREW (1969) – The third and fourth films of the spy spoof Matt Helm franchise are full of 1960s escapism and style. Although Dean Martin in the lead role does strain believability (if that is even a valid consideration for these kind of films), he has a charm that carries him through the nonsense on the screen. I enjoyed The Ambushers more solely on the kitsch factor. Both films are heavy on female eye candy.
I pulled out my collection a small pile of horror DVDs and blu-rays I have not gotten around to watching yet for SMM. I do not have any clear plans for my October viewing, but I will definitely try to get through a few of the Phantasm films. I probably will kick off the month with The Beyond, which I still have not seen.
It's been a very stressful couple of weeks for me, but I'm happy to finally have the weekend to relax and prepare for SMM. I've got my pile of movies I want to watch and I'm sure there will be plenty more I'll be streaming.
ReplyDeleteAs for stuff I've seen lately, I managed to catch house with a clock in it's walls in IMAX, so I got to see Thriller in 3D. After Adam's piece on it, I made it a point to check it out. It was wonderful and house with a clock in it's walls was just flat out delightful and what I needed during a stressful week.
Checked out Murder party from Jeremy Saulnier and for a guy's first movie with no budget, it was good. Planning on checking out hold the dark soon, hearing mostly good things.
Finally, I just watched Inferno for the first time and loved it! It's borderline nonsense, but it was crazy and the visuals rivaled Suspiria.
I'm doing a mostly VHS SMM this October. I mentioned this in an eariler post - Earlier this year I made the awful decision to start collecting VHS again. I gave away something like 500 tapes back in the early 90's thinking I would just be happy upgrading to Laserdisc, DVD,and ultimately Blu Ray only to recently regret this. I do not recommend collecting tapes again as it comes with it's problems including bad tapes, storage, cleaning the heads of VCR's and waaaaaay over priced titles. Still, It's a lot of fun tracking down these old titles and revisiting these films as I saw them as a kid. Personally, I'd rather see "The Gates of Hell" as I watched it when I rented it as an 8 year old than seeing it restored in perfect HD. This is not a popular opinion and I totally get it. Regardless, SMM is going to be a lot of fun given the interactive and nostalgic experience. Up to over 200 tapes at the moment.
ReplyDeleteSaw the picture you posted on Twitter a couple weeks back of your VHS tapes. Looks like it should be a fun SMM for you. Like you I got rid of pretty much all my old VHS stuff (as much due to a lack of space as anything). I do still have Phantom of the Paradise though and Bad Taste (still sealed in plastic).
DeleteDude! Phantom of the Paradise is the last tape I need for my De Palma collection haha! I'll take that Bad Taste too ;)
DeleteThird year participating. I was so pumped I started early and just finished, what I feel like is going to be hard to rival, and thats Mandy. This year has some solid ones Im ready to indulge in.
ReplyDeleteGetting very excited for Monday. Very excited. I saw The Nun, which I personally kinda liked, even though that movie goes very Goonies, even though it goes goofy I still had a good time with it. I also watched The House with the Clock in it's Walls, again another movie I had a great time with. And last night I saw Jeremy Saulnier's new movie on Netflix, another movie I'm going to be fan of despite early reviews. I think it's really interesting and I'm going to have to watch it again because I don't think I took all of it in. But bring on Scary Movie Month!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSaw 21 movies in theaters in the past week, 18 of the at the Helsinki International Film Festival. Here's a few of them:
ReplyDeleteGood Manners, a werewolf movie from Brazil, is beautiful and takes its time, but also pulls the rug from under the audience a couple of times. I love a movie you can't predict.
Pity, a Greek movie co-written by the writer of The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is a bizarre tale about a man who becomes addicted to sorrow and pity, and goes to great lengths to get his fix.
Anna and the Apocalypse is a British high school musical zombie comedy. Nothing revolutionary but it's a fun romp and the lead, Ella Hunt, is excellent.
Black '47 is an Irish revenge "western" set in the great famine in the 1840's. James Frecheville as the stoic avenger and Hugo Weaving as the reluctant man sent after him are phenomenal.
Under the Tree is a great little black comedy from Iceland about bickering neighbors whose row slowly escalates into new heights.
The Guilty is a Danish thriller that's similar to Locke in that the whole movie is one guy talking on the phone. Here it's a cop answering 911 calls and getting a little too personally invested in a kidnapping case. The movie keeps you at the edge of your seat for the entirety of its 85-minute runtime. The Guilty might be my favorite movie of the fest.
And I don't have to tell you guys about Mandy and Searching, both are great.
Of the non-festival movies, I wanna mention Border, a Swedish movie from Ali Abbasi, the director of the horror movie Shelley (if that means anything to anyone here), and Sweden's submission for next yer's foreign language Oscar. It's about being different and fitting in, it's about belonging, it's about knowing your roots, and it's a really bizarre movie. Recommended to see it with as little knowledge as possible.
Oh, and Peppermint is fine.
Ok, now I'm ready for October to start!
Put a few of these on my watch list. Thanks, Mikko!
DeleteWe've been spoiled the last few years by having Oct 1st on a weekend. I'm going to watch my inaugural movie at midnight tonight (They Live, for the first time), but will have to stop there. I usually go from midnight til 6 or 7 am on the first. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this year I plan on doing a double feature once a week with a classic, followed by it's own remake. I've missed just about every remake, so I'll be interested to see what they've got going for them. I'm doing this for 70/80s movies and their 2000s remakes. Friday the 13th, Carrie, the Hitcher, Texas Chainsaw, Evil Dead. This will either be an interesting experiment, or a horrible mistake.
That’s interesting! I can say I’m a big fan of the Evil Dead remake, so look forward to that.
DeleteLooking forward to participating again....just worried about keeping the reviews to seven words.
ReplyDeleteThat's what we need to practice heading up to SMM.
Normally I get off at 10pm on Sundays, but I’m stuck working til midnight. Had planned to start off with Mandy, just not sure if my brain can handle it after a ten hour shift. Maybe I’ll finish one of the slashers from Junesploitation
ReplyDeleteLast year my mother was convalescent and on her dying bed throughout October before she passed away by month's end. Missed the entire SMM festivity for the first time since it started. Can't say I'm pumped about this year's (still miss my mother terribly! :'(), but I will participate as much as I can while getting crazy OT at work. Wish me luck! :-)
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss. Losing a loved one at a holiday (of any kind) makes it more likely that you'll remember anniversary. It really sucks.
DeleteVargas, this post made me tear up. Much love, man.
DeleteThat's rough, but cheers to you for hanging in pal. Excited to see what you do get to watch.
DeleteThanks, guys. Yep, October is kind of tainted by mom passing away, but that hasn't kept me from enjoying horror movies in which people die in horrible and entertaining ways in the 12 months since. Time to man-up and enjoy some seven-word review mayhem. :-P
DeleteI started the month early on Monday, already watched ten movies.
ReplyDeleteThe Monster Squad: It had probably been close to 20 years since I had watched this one. Lots of fun but not a favorite. Definitely like Night of the Creeps better.
Get Out: Second viewing, this is just an instant horror classic.
Mandy: Nick Cage snoring a pile of coke off a shard of glass is the greatest thing I've seen this week.
Jackals: Totally skippable unless you just love The Strangers.
Suspiria: Saw this one years and years ago and found it incredibly overrated. This time it clicked much better. The plot is almost nonsense, but of if you wanted to write a text book on lighting, couldn't find a better place to start.
Don't Look Now: This was a rewatch for a Next Picture podcast on a double feature of this and Hereditary. First time I saw it I was bored and left cold, this time I appreciated more for what they we're going for. That opening shot is masterful.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?: Saw this on a list of 60s horror and I just happened to have it laying around. Wouldn't really call it horror although it does have elements.
The Fall of the House of Usher: Vincent f'n Price
Hereditary: This is my kind of horror movie. Doesn't rely on jump scares, just mood and atmosphere. When you can make a click cause the hair to stand up on the back on my neck, you've accomplished something truly scary.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage: I'm not a giallo fan, but I will keep trying.