It's probably worth noting here that MM and I have very different tastes in horror, which is fair enough. Rather than simply offering a counterpoint piece to his every commentary though, I thought I'd pick up on a few films I found interesting (or comment worthy) and add them in my own 'films to see before you die'. So, here goes:
Deliverance (1972) **** 4/5
A scary, scary film. I've no idea if Tobe Hooper saw this before making his seminal work, but man, there's just something deeply insettling about crazed american hicks in the wilderness.
The Wicker Man (1973) ** 2/5
There was a remake of this film recently, that didn't have Christopher Lee in it but did have Nicholas Cage punching lots of women in the face. It was strangely hilarious(ly bad). The original, for no good reason, is hailed as a horror classic. The only part in the least bit scary was the ending, which was quite believeable. The rest was just dull. Overlong, overhyped. If you're straight though you'll enjoy Britt Ekland doing her naked dance.
Don't Look Now (1973) **** 4/5
Did Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie really have sex? I have no idea, but man, this is a great film. Sutherland is haunted by visions of what he thinks is the ghost of his dead child running about. Or is it? Well no, it's something far more sinister (kind of), but also more weird. Maybe he's got a touch of the 'shinning'.
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975) *** 3/5
I'm probably seeming quite hard to please here, but this is another film where not much happens. I do like the setting though. There's something sinister about the idea of just vanishing, which is played out in the film. It's quite a base, deep fear. If they'd been found this would have got 2/5.
The Thing (1982) ***** 5/5
Another sci-fi horror (as the monster is a shape-shifting alien), but this time John Carpenter gets it so, so fucking right. I'll never forget the first time I saw the head sprout spider legs and peg it off the table. If you're reading this and you know what I'm talking about, I highly doubt you ever forgot it either.
The Kingdom (1994) **** 4/5
I noticed this in MM's list and it stood out like a sore thumb. It's the least conventional of anything in there, and Lars Von Trier's 'Riget' is a rollercoaster ride to hell and back. Interestingly, I have the DVD of the original series (not the Stephen King madness from a couple of years back). Unfortunately, the second series never made it over to the UK, but I guarantee this is one of the most strange things you'll ever see. Mrs Drusse is the best. On a personal note, I felt quite uncomfortable giving this a score after not watching it for a while.
Audition (1999) ***** 5/5
I remember seeing this piece of Japanese drama/splatter horror in the cinema when it first arrived over in the UK. Breathtaking, unsettling and disturbing in equal measure - the last 10 minutes of the film will have you hiding behind the sofa, let alone the cushions.
Well folks, I hope you enjoyed my take on the stranger side of horror. Thanks for your time.
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
Horror Films To See Before You Die
Part 2 - 1970-2009
Hi again. For anyone who missed my previous post I had noted that Octopus books and General Editor Steven J Schneider recently released the newest, 5th anniversary edition, of the epic book "1001 Films To See Before You Die" I began presenting a list of the horror films which made the list (in chronological order) including my own very brief (no more than 3 sentence) review of those films on the list which I have seen, hopefully showing a pretty good cross section of one fan's (or type of fan's) opinion. This time we focus on the most recent crop of high quality horror, strap yourselves in. Are you sitting comfortably? ...
- The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
- Straw Dogs (1971) *** 3/5
Exploitation with high reach, undoubtedly powerful but with fudged messages and an ambivalent quality, often seeming fractured but with something to say, even if it's unsure what, and often visual flair and acting brilliance. I am sure Mr B will have a differing viewpoint though.
- Deliverance (1972)
- Frenzy (1972)
- The Wicker Man (1973)
- Don't Look Now (1973)
- The Exorcist (1973) *** 3/5
Overly schlock, over-hyped publicity stunt, relying too much on gimmicks over it's strengths: great acting, very good direction, and a sense of true mystery and mood. But nothing better than the make up. BUT see Mr B's earlier review for another take.
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre **** 4/5
Seminal, important work, not just to the crop of 70's exploitation pioneered by the likes of Hooper and Craven (i.e Hills Have Eyes) but remains relevant to horror as a whole. Innovative plot, set design, lighting, gore, a true villainous icon and a very watchable film, horrifying but in the best way. Let down very slightly by some typical ropey final Hooper-esque effects (the family grandpa looks like a bad Cryptkeeper), a cliche conforming final girl and the most tedious and annoying chase scene in horror.
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) **** 4/5
A true dividing "Marmite" piece, in horror terms it invests such charm and has such fun with the iconography, conventions and cliches that, whilst it's possible not to be infected, those who are fall for its charms hard, it has chipped away at me until I acknowledged then admired it's cult sense of glee and love of sci-fi, and of course horror. And, yes, now I do own it and can quote it with glee.
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- Jaws (1975) *** 3/5
More suspense than horror but with moments of greatness, not least the use of score to create fear, a couple of truly great jump shocks, and a director building up to the vastly superior (but sadly sci-fi) Jurassic Park.
- Carrie (1976) ***** 5/5
Still one of my favourite films. Gutsy direction perfectly depicting what it's like to be the abused, put upon outsider and the true horrors of people and the monsters they can create. Best ending in film too...
- Eraserhead (1977)
- The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
- Suspiria (1977) ** 2/5
I know it's just me but it's too disjointed and crazy, I'm told that's the point but I found it difficult to be swept into the narrative. Very brilliant imagery though, evoking nightmares and dreamscapes well, if not perfectly. One I want to rewatch and re-evaluate though.
- Dawn of the Dead (1978) **** 4/5
Widely considered the best of Romero's zombie output, a bitingly brilliant satire on consumerism and our nature, alive or dead, as true zombies. Great splatter effect moments, well acted, tensely cut and as bleak as it's precursor. Eerie and scary, even when issues of the living, not the undead, are the source of anxiety.
- Halloween (1978) ***** 5/5
First, and one of the best, true slasher films to truly cement the generic conventions associated. Carpenter never bettered it, fantastic camera angles and set ups, a grade A plot and killer, and a touch of class via Donald Pleasance. If you've never watched horror, start here.
- Alien (1979) **** 4/5
Tense and atmospheric, if a touch ponderous and slow-to-start, Giger's alien creation and cinema's feminist one compete to be most important and noteworthy and end up in a score draw for this and 3 sequels. Great meshing of genre, again top notch cast all round and a quality plot, if more for its sci-fi moments. Does effectively use lessons from expressionism to Spielberg though, making the creatures fleeting appearances all the more terrifying, not least in its, justifiably iconic and messy, birth scene.
- Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night (1979)
- The Shining (1980) **** 4/5
A master at work, adapting a great source novel and adding mood, tension, visual horrors of the highest calibre (blood gushes, ghosts stalk), a defining acting performance and a film that simply has to be experienced. Loses a star for some of the more preposterous plot ideas not quite working a hundred per cent (the bar ghosts and the concept of the psychic abilities) and a couple of very slightly muddled, confusing moments. Overall forgivable in the grand whole though.
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- The Thing (1982)
- Poltergeist (1982) **** 4/5
The memory is hazy but I recall loving it when younger, being quite disturbed and creeped out, some haunting visual flourishes, thinking outside the box. And lives on in parody form, the central TV locale being lampooned ever since (and utilised for its original scary purpose to great effect by the Japanese in Ringu).
- The Evil Dead (1982) **** 4/5
Camera as character, mad kinetic energy truly portraying the insane and demonic. Fast paced, accurately portrayed as tongue-in-cheek but with horrific moments of horror and gore. Immensely enjoyable.
- Videodrome (1983)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) ***** 5/5
First film to effectively combine cutting edge, pre-CGI, sfx with expert camerawork to truly capture the look and feel of a nightmare, all wrapped up as a conventional slasher, enjoyable on that level too, cinemas best-acted villain and arguably one of the most recognisable, all of this AND an ingenious plot. Just do not fall asleep while reading this post...
- The Fly (1986)
- Aliens (1986) ***** 5/5
More of a war movie but with the aforementioned (see Alien) competing horror types, taking their fight for supremacy to new levels, my favourite director for so many reasons but primarily he makes everything so inherently watchable and enjoyable, and features a pissed off mother fighting a giant monster in a robot suit, 'nuff said!
- Fatal Attraction (1987) ** 2/5
Chick flick dressed up as horror.
- Alice (1988) **** 4/5
Creepy and affecting, haunting work of art which adequately realised the potential for grotesque strangeness in its source tale.
- Jacob's Ladder (1990)
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) **** 4/5
Darkly presented, highly psychological piece, unnerving because of its closeness to home and very human monsters, classy but twisted, stylish but captivating.
- The Kingdom (1994)
- Scream (1996) ***** 5/5
Trend setting, first post-modern horror, bred a slew of 90's slashers but was never equalled due to witty, clever script, direction that is unquestionably dedicated and great and the often overlooked concept of being the first film to effectively marry a slasher and a whodunnit mystery. One of my faves despite the stigma. Full review will follow soon...
- Ring (1988) **** 4/5
Another master at play, building tension gradually but with a pay off so cool its worth it, mesmerising and creepy images abound and the well conceived plot premise is also unsettlingly prescient, speaking to an ever present fear of our reliance on technology whilst being a simple and chilling ghost story.
- Audition (1999)
- The Blair Witch Project (1999) *** 3/5
Not as effective as it thinks at creating tension, often eliciting only boredom but the acting moments and some of the little tics are unsettling, great if watched with a suspension of disbelief or when in the right mood to want to be freaked out, a bit poor otherwise.
- The Sixth Sense (1999)
- Irreversible (2002)
- Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
- The Host (2006)
... and there we have it, hope its stimulated some feelings and the grey cells. But no italian Argento giallo? Only one Nakata ghost story? No Friday the 13th? agree? disagree? There's a section for comments right below this piece...
- Straw Dogs (1971) *** 3/5
Exploitation with high reach, undoubtedly powerful but with fudged messages and an ambivalent quality, often seeming fractured but with something to say, even if it's unsure what, and often visual flair and acting brilliance. I am sure Mr B will have a differing viewpoint though.
- Deliverance (1972)
- Frenzy (1972)
- The Wicker Man (1973)
- Don't Look Now (1973)
- The Exorcist (1973) *** 3/5
Overly schlock, over-hyped publicity stunt, relying too much on gimmicks over it's strengths: great acting, very good direction, and a sense of true mystery and mood. But nothing better than the make up. BUT see Mr B's earlier review for another take.
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre **** 4/5
Seminal, important work, not just to the crop of 70's exploitation pioneered by the likes of Hooper and Craven (i.e Hills Have Eyes) but remains relevant to horror as a whole. Innovative plot, set design, lighting, gore, a true villainous icon and a very watchable film, horrifying but in the best way. Let down very slightly by some typical ropey final Hooper-esque effects (the family grandpa looks like a bad Cryptkeeper), a cliche conforming final girl and the most tedious and annoying chase scene in horror.
- Young Frankenstein (1974)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) **** 4/5
A true dividing "Marmite" piece, in horror terms it invests such charm and has such fun with the iconography, conventions and cliches that, whilst it's possible not to be infected, those who are fall for its charms hard, it has chipped away at me until I acknowledged then admired it's cult sense of glee and love of sci-fi, and of course horror. And, yes, now I do own it and can quote it with glee.
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- Jaws (1975) *** 3/5
More suspense than horror but with moments of greatness, not least the use of score to create fear, a couple of truly great jump shocks, and a director building up to the vastly superior (but sadly sci-fi) Jurassic Park.
- Carrie (1976) ***** 5/5
Still one of my favourite films. Gutsy direction perfectly depicting what it's like to be the abused, put upon outsider and the true horrors of people and the monsters they can create. Best ending in film too...
- Eraserhead (1977)
- The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
- Suspiria (1977) ** 2/5
I know it's just me but it's too disjointed and crazy, I'm told that's the point but I found it difficult to be swept into the narrative. Very brilliant imagery though, evoking nightmares and dreamscapes well, if not perfectly. One I want to rewatch and re-evaluate though.
- Dawn of the Dead (1978) **** 4/5
Widely considered the best of Romero's zombie output, a bitingly brilliant satire on consumerism and our nature, alive or dead, as true zombies. Great splatter effect moments, well acted, tensely cut and as bleak as it's precursor. Eerie and scary, even when issues of the living, not the undead, are the source of anxiety.
- Halloween (1978) ***** 5/5
First, and one of the best, true slasher films to truly cement the generic conventions associated. Carpenter never bettered it, fantastic camera angles and set ups, a grade A plot and killer, and a touch of class via Donald Pleasance. If you've never watched horror, start here.
- Alien (1979) **** 4/5
Tense and atmospheric, if a touch ponderous and slow-to-start, Giger's alien creation and cinema's feminist one compete to be most important and noteworthy and end up in a score draw for this and 3 sequels. Great meshing of genre, again top notch cast all round and a quality plot, if more for its sci-fi moments. Does effectively use lessons from expressionism to Spielberg though, making the creatures fleeting appearances all the more terrifying, not least in its, justifiably iconic and messy, birth scene.
- Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night (1979)
- The Shining (1980) **** 4/5
A master at work, adapting a great source novel and adding mood, tension, visual horrors of the highest calibre (blood gushes, ghosts stalk), a defining acting performance and a film that simply has to be experienced. Loses a star for some of the more preposterous plot ideas not quite working a hundred per cent (the bar ghosts and the concept of the psychic abilities) and a couple of very slightly muddled, confusing moments. Overall forgivable in the grand whole though.
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- The Thing (1982)
- Poltergeist (1982) **** 4/5
The memory is hazy but I recall loving it when younger, being quite disturbed and creeped out, some haunting visual flourishes, thinking outside the box. And lives on in parody form, the central TV locale being lampooned ever since (and utilised for its original scary purpose to great effect by the Japanese in Ringu).
- The Evil Dead (1982) **** 4/5
Camera as character, mad kinetic energy truly portraying the insane and demonic. Fast paced, accurately portrayed as tongue-in-cheek but with horrific moments of horror and gore. Immensely enjoyable.
- Videodrome (1983)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) ***** 5/5
First film to effectively combine cutting edge, pre-CGI, sfx with expert camerawork to truly capture the look and feel of a nightmare, all wrapped up as a conventional slasher, enjoyable on that level too, cinemas best-acted villain and arguably one of the most recognisable, all of this AND an ingenious plot. Just do not fall asleep while reading this post...
- The Fly (1986)
- Aliens (1986) ***** 5/5
More of a war movie but with the aforementioned (see Alien) competing horror types, taking their fight for supremacy to new levels, my favourite director for so many reasons but primarily he makes everything so inherently watchable and enjoyable, and features a pissed off mother fighting a giant monster in a robot suit, 'nuff said!
- Fatal Attraction (1987) ** 2/5
Chick flick dressed up as horror.
- Alice (1988) **** 4/5
Creepy and affecting, haunting work of art which adequately realised the potential for grotesque strangeness in its source tale.
- Jacob's Ladder (1990)
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) **** 4/5
Darkly presented, highly psychological piece, unnerving because of its closeness to home and very human monsters, classy but twisted, stylish but captivating.
- The Kingdom (1994)
- Scream (1996) ***** 5/5
Trend setting, first post-modern horror, bred a slew of 90's slashers but was never equalled due to witty, clever script, direction that is unquestionably dedicated and great and the often overlooked concept of being the first film to effectively marry a slasher and a whodunnit mystery. One of my faves despite the stigma. Full review will follow soon...
- Ring (1988) **** 4/5
Another master at play, building tension gradually but with a pay off so cool its worth it, mesmerising and creepy images abound and the well conceived plot premise is also unsettlingly prescient, speaking to an ever present fear of our reliance on technology whilst being a simple and chilling ghost story.
- Audition (1999)
- The Blair Witch Project (1999) *** 3/5
Not as effective as it thinks at creating tension, often eliciting only boredom but the acting moments and some of the little tics are unsettling, great if watched with a suspension of disbelief or when in the right mood to want to be freaked out, a bit poor otherwise.
- The Sixth Sense (1999)
- Irreversible (2002)
- Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
- The Host (2006)
... and there we have it, hope its stimulated some feelings and the grey cells. But no italian Argento giallo? Only one Nakata ghost story? No Friday the 13th? agree? disagree? There's a section for comments right below this piece...
Poster courtesy of squidoo.com
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Horror Films To See Before You Die
Part 1: 1900-1969
Hi all,
So, Octopus books and General Editor Steven J Schneider recently released the newest, 5th anniversary edition, of the epic book "1001 Films To See Before You Die". What follows is a list of the horror films which made the list (in chronological order). This list should presumably represent the best of the genre and, hopefully, get people thinking, debating, complaining and chiming in with their own 2 cents. I will also include a very brief (no more than 3 sentence) review of those films on the list which I have seen, hopefully showing a pretty good cross section of one fan's (or type of fan's) opinion. Ideally, with the gauntlet thrown down last night, Mr B will pick up the baton and give his own brief views on the films HE has seen, becoming a more comprehensive reviews list and an intriguing comparison in some cases between we 2 fans on the same subjects. Hopefully you're suitably intrigued so lets get on with the list...
- Les Vampires (1915)
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) **** 4/5
Seminal German expressionist work where the plot is somewhat less memorable than the epic atmosphere and creepy images, vitally important to forming several key visual tropes of the genre as a whole, if a little dull itself in moments.
- The Phantom Carriage (1921)
- Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror (1922) ***** 5/5
The true expressionist masterpiece and one of the best screen interpretations of the Dracula legend, where everything exists in a truly mesmering and chilling world of shadows and symbols, and the freakiest, most iconic monster in horror cinema history, so iconic it was parodied in everything from The Fast Show to The Simpsons, and inspired the later film Shadow of the Vampire.
- Haxan (1923)
- The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
- Dracula (1931)
- Frankenstein (1931) **** 4/5
Brilliant early horror which, along with its sequel, remains the best of the Universal output of its classic heyday in my opinion, fantastically shot and performed and remaining inherently watchable, asking all the right questions in its script too. Despite heavily relevant scenes including the monsters first (and only) kill and the ensuing, now archetypal, "villagers with pitchforks" mob violence. Sadly hasn't dated well as a whole.
- M (1931)
- Vampyr (1932)
- Freaks (1932) ** 2/5
Overly exploitative, arguable horror, which leaves a bad taste in the mouth and which is notable for showing an acclaimed director honing his craft and not much else, remains one of my mums favourite movies though so must speak to some people, somehow.
- King Kong (1933) ***** 5/5
Cinema history 101 pushed the boundaries of effects, screenplay and what could be presented in the medium and is the oldest film in this list that I can put on and watch right now and still dig on, top marks for sure.
- The Black Cat (1934)
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) ***** 5/5
One of few sequels that better the original, dealing brilliantly with the themes of inhumanity and monstrousness (and how reversed these can be from expectations) from the previous film, and adding an additional theme of gender politics, also contains one of the best death lines in the movies ("We Belong Dead"). Does however contain a clearly queer subplot which unfortunately distracts from the films merits and ALMOST drops it a star, but quality shines through.
- The Wolf Man (1941)
- Cat People (1942) **** 4/5
A surprisingly seminal work, often overlooked, again showcasing a director at the height of his abilities, here showing masterfully how to build tension and fear from suggestion and what you don't see, one of the best old school B movies but still a little bit trashy for my tastes to be a true great. Did however give us the jump shocks so prevalent in practically every US horror since.
- I Walked With A Zombie (1943) * 1/5
Good direction but the title is better than anything in the film, a product of that being presented first and Val Lewtons contrary nature.
- The Seventh Victim (1943)
- Laura (1944)
- Detour (1945)
- Les Diaboliques (1954)
- The Mad Masters (1955)
- The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- The Seventh Seal (1957)
- Dracula (1958)
- Eyes Without a Face (1959)
- Psycho (1960) Full review will be posted at some point soon...
- Black Sunday (1960) **** 4/5
Sensual and powerful film, with striking imagery which really shocks the sense and presents an intriguing visual representation of the supernatural, awesome villain acting from the female lead too but at times the production can veer a bit "Scooby Doo" in its own intricacy of traps and signification of detail.
- Peeping Tom (1960) *** 3/5
Uncomfortable but undoubtedly merit-worthy film, some directorial decisions alone earning a whole star but not on a par with the film its often compared to: Psycho. Surprisingly decent however, speaking to the voyeur in us all whether we like it or not.
- The Birds (1963) *** 3/5
Hitchcock on auto-pilot, still notable and memorable, with flourishes of brilliance, but too ponderous at times and overshadowed by its siblings Psycho and Rear Window.
- The Haunting (1963) *** 3/5
Tense without being overblown with a true impact on various branches of horror film theory, sadly the speculation about hidden meanings is more interesting than anything actually presented but at times this is a good thing when true tension and top notch camera placement and framing works at effectively scaring you, at others it is frustratingly tame for a more advanced audience.
- The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
- Viy (1967)
- Rosemary's Baby (1968)
- Night of the Living Dead (1968) ***** 5/5
Set the scene for every zombie outing to follow and remains a brilliantly allegorical piece on one level and also a brilliantly executed horror b-movie, the dead rose, and so did critics who took notice. Influential and enjoyable, a true roller coaster ride.
So, Octopus books and General Editor Steven J Schneider recently released the newest, 5th anniversary edition, of the epic book "1001 Films To See Before You Die". What follows is a list of the horror films which made the list (in chronological order). This list should presumably represent the best of the genre and, hopefully, get people thinking, debating, complaining and chiming in with their own 2 cents. I will also include a very brief (no more than 3 sentence) review of those films on the list which I have seen, hopefully showing a pretty good cross section of one fan's (or type of fan's) opinion. Ideally, with the gauntlet thrown down last night, Mr B will pick up the baton and give his own brief views on the films HE has seen, becoming a more comprehensive reviews list and an intriguing comparison in some cases between we 2 fans on the same subjects. Hopefully you're suitably intrigued so lets get on with the list...
- Les Vampires (1915)
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) **** 4/5
Seminal German expressionist work where the plot is somewhat less memorable than the epic atmosphere and creepy images, vitally important to forming several key visual tropes of the genre as a whole, if a little dull itself in moments.
- The Phantom Carriage (1921)
- Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror (1922) ***** 5/5
The true expressionist masterpiece and one of the best screen interpretations of the Dracula legend, where everything exists in a truly mesmering and chilling world of shadows and symbols, and the freakiest, most iconic monster in horror cinema history, so iconic it was parodied in everything from The Fast Show to The Simpsons, and inspired the later film Shadow of the Vampire.
- Haxan (1923)
- The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
- Dracula (1931)
- Frankenstein (1931) **** 4/5
Brilliant early horror which, along with its sequel, remains the best of the Universal output of its classic heyday in my opinion, fantastically shot and performed and remaining inherently watchable, asking all the right questions in its script too. Despite heavily relevant scenes including the monsters first (and only) kill and the ensuing, now archetypal, "villagers with pitchforks" mob violence. Sadly hasn't dated well as a whole.
- M (1931)
- Vampyr (1932)
- Freaks (1932) ** 2/5
Overly exploitative, arguable horror, which leaves a bad taste in the mouth and which is notable for showing an acclaimed director honing his craft and not much else, remains one of my mums favourite movies though so must speak to some people, somehow.
- King Kong (1933) ***** 5/5
Cinema history 101 pushed the boundaries of effects, screenplay and what could be presented in the medium and is the oldest film in this list that I can put on and watch right now and still dig on, top marks for sure.
- The Black Cat (1934)
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935) ***** 5/5
One of few sequels that better the original, dealing brilliantly with the themes of inhumanity and monstrousness (and how reversed these can be from expectations) from the previous film, and adding an additional theme of gender politics, also contains one of the best death lines in the movies ("We Belong Dead"). Does however contain a clearly queer subplot which unfortunately distracts from the films merits and ALMOST drops it a star, but quality shines through.
- The Wolf Man (1941)
- Cat People (1942) **** 4/5
A surprisingly seminal work, often overlooked, again showcasing a director at the height of his abilities, here showing masterfully how to build tension and fear from suggestion and what you don't see, one of the best old school B movies but still a little bit trashy for my tastes to be a true great. Did however give us the jump shocks so prevalent in practically every US horror since.
- I Walked With A Zombie (1943) * 1/5
Good direction but the title is better than anything in the film, a product of that being presented first and Val Lewtons contrary nature.
- The Seventh Victim (1943)
- Laura (1944)
- Detour (1945)
- Les Diaboliques (1954)
- The Mad Masters (1955)
- The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- The Seventh Seal (1957)
- Dracula (1958)
- Eyes Without a Face (1959)
- Psycho (1960) Full review will be posted at some point soon...
- Black Sunday (1960) **** 4/5
Sensual and powerful film, with striking imagery which really shocks the sense and presents an intriguing visual representation of the supernatural, awesome villain acting from the female lead too but at times the production can veer a bit "Scooby Doo" in its own intricacy of traps and signification of detail.
- Peeping Tom (1960) *** 3/5
Uncomfortable but undoubtedly merit-worthy film, some directorial decisions alone earning a whole star but not on a par with the film its often compared to: Psycho. Surprisingly decent however, speaking to the voyeur in us all whether we like it or not.
- The Birds (1963) *** 3/5
Hitchcock on auto-pilot, still notable and memorable, with flourishes of brilliance, but too ponderous at times and overshadowed by its siblings Psycho and Rear Window.
- The Haunting (1963) *** 3/5
Tense without being overblown with a true impact on various branches of horror film theory, sadly the speculation about hidden meanings is more interesting than anything actually presented but at times this is a good thing when true tension and top notch camera placement and framing works at effectively scaring you, at others it is frustratingly tame for a more advanced audience.
- The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
- Viy (1967)
- Rosemary's Baby (1968)
- Night of the Living Dead (1968) ***** 5/5
Set the scene for every zombie outing to follow and remains a brilliantly allegorical piece on one level and also a brilliantly executed horror b-movie, the dead rose, and so did critics who took notice. Influential and enjoyable, a true roller coaster ride.
Some good stuff, no? Stay tuned for part 2, coming soon, it only gets better!...
Horror TV - NIght Stalker
I never saw the original Kolchak TV show, but it does sound quite a lot like something I'd enjoy. What I did see recently was most of the episodes of the 2005 show Night Stalker, featuring Stuart Townsend.
I can honestly say that it was almost a personal attack that I found the show to be cancelled after such a short run. It had everything I like - attractive characters, weird storylines, Gabrielle Union (yum), an X-Files like feel and the lead driving a wonderful Mustang.
I'm not big on comparing a new show to an old one (things have to move on, ideas get re-interpreted etc - if you're not going to change anything why bother remaking?), but I do feel like Night Stalker should have got a second series. Much like the cancellation of Twin Peaks, there was a lot that remained unexplained. I suppose that it's good that it managed to avoid just dying on it's arse like The X-Files did.
I can honestly say that it was almost a personal attack that I found the show to be cancelled after such a short run. It had everything I like - attractive characters, weird storylines, Gabrielle Union (yum), an X-Files like feel and the lead driving a wonderful Mustang.
I'm not big on comparing a new show to an old one (things have to move on, ideas get re-interpreted etc - if you're not going to change anything why bother remaking?), but I do feel like Night Stalker should have got a second series. Much like the cancellation of Twin Peaks, there was a lot that remained unexplained. I suppose that it's good that it managed to avoid just dying on it's arse like The X-Files did.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
R.I.P Michael Jackson, The King Of Pop... And Horror???
The world is in a state of mourning at the sad news that the legend Michael Jackson has sadly passed away. He was 50 years old. It's my personal hope that he is remembered for his amazing music and top quality showmanship, and yes I did feel he warranted a mention here for one very important reason: Thriller.
Quite simply, despite being a music video, Thriller is one of the best short horror films I have ever been priveleged to have seen. It is one of the formative pieces in defining my love for the genre and it's tropes, images, conventions and sense of fun and occasion. In a way it proves Mr B's point about iconic imagery being powerful, since there is only the barest of plot and so everything you feel (and boy do you feel something) comes from the, frankly outstanding, music, expert direction from horror legend John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and the performance of the various dancers, other actors (including a top notch vocal performance from bona fide horror legend Vincent Price) and, at the core, Michael Jackson. He acts fantastically as the protective boyfriend, movie star monster, zombie possessed and finally the sly, evil trickster. And all of this is eclipsed still by his dance routine. The pictures are amazing despite being faintly ridiculous (why are zombies dancing? We NEVER question it) and show the coolest depictions of transformation, rising from the grave and being possessed in any media, better than most horror movies. THAT is my recollection of the man, a showman and entertainer who could pull off magic and produce works of art, in any genre.
We at the site wish to express our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to his family and fans and invite you to enjoy this masterpiece again...
Quite simply, despite being a music video, Thriller is one of the best short horror films I have ever been priveleged to have seen. It is one of the formative pieces in defining my love for the genre and it's tropes, images, conventions and sense of fun and occasion. In a way it proves Mr B's point about iconic imagery being powerful, since there is only the barest of plot and so everything you feel (and boy do you feel something) comes from the, frankly outstanding, music, expert direction from horror legend John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and the performance of the various dancers, other actors (including a top notch vocal performance from bona fide horror legend Vincent Price) and, at the core, Michael Jackson. He acts fantastically as the protective boyfriend, movie star monster, zombie possessed and finally the sly, evil trickster. And all of this is eclipsed still by his dance routine. The pictures are amazing despite being faintly ridiculous (why are zombies dancing? We NEVER question it) and show the coolest depictions of transformation, rising from the grave and being possessed in any media, better than most horror movies. THAT is my recollection of the man, a showman and entertainer who could pull off magic and produce works of art, in any genre.
We at the site wish to express our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to his family and fans and invite you to enjoy this masterpiece again...
Video available via youtube.com
Image courtesy of hometownhollywood.com
"All through the night, I'll save you from the terror on the screen..."
The Random Thoughts of Mr B and myself
I just finished a, very usual, hour long phone conversation with Mr B in which, as is often the case we ended up discussing the horror genre and elaborating on a personal level about some of the things discussed in previous posts (despite his supposed tipsy status). Some of the things discussed which I felt like sharing included:
-Martyrs is effective because sometimes images that are strong and horrific enough don't have to have a coherent plot reason (Mr B) and my disagreeing, then coming round slightly and deciding that in the hands of an incredibly gifted and artistic director perhaps they can have some impact, but I still prefer visceral imagery AND a cracking plot (hence I prefer the first 2 Saw movies to the other sequels and only like parts of Hostel).
- Mr B's conclusion that "If all a film has is bad acting ... " (which became the quote of the night).
- His predilection for the supernatural, and my preference for more human villains, but love of Japanese ghost stories.
Much more was discussed but I'm hoping to feed into other posts later, including potentially an epic post tomorrow which I'm hoping will get people spurred into thinking, and hopefully commenting, about the best of the genre.
Until then keep it chilled,
MM
-Martyrs is effective because sometimes images that are strong and horrific enough don't have to have a coherent plot reason (Mr B) and my disagreeing, then coming round slightly and deciding that in the hands of an incredibly gifted and artistic director perhaps they can have some impact, but I still prefer visceral imagery AND a cracking plot (hence I prefer the first 2 Saw movies to the other sequels and only like parts of Hostel).
- Mr B's conclusion that "If all a film has is bad acting ... " (which became the quote of the night).
- His predilection for the supernatural, and my preference for more human villains, but love of Japanese ghost stories.
Much more was discussed but I'm hoping to feed into other posts later, including potentially an epic post tomorrow which I'm hoping will get people spurred into thinking, and hopefully commenting, about the best of the genre.
Until then keep it chilled,
MM
The Exorcist - A Favourite Of Mine
Every so often, a channel will stick The Exorcist on. The original is far better than the strange sequels that were spawned, including the newest prequels. Here's a few reasons why I like the film so much:
- I saw The Exorcist when I was 16 and it genuinely gave me goosebumps
- I have long been into ghost stories, and the idea of being possessed by the devil is right up there. Seeing Linda Blair's transformation from normal child to something else amazed me
- The subtlety of the film (the moments of flash frame when we see the face of Pazuzu) and the almost documentary feel of the hopsital sequence remains chilling to watch
- Acting in the film is on the whole of a very high quality
- The supernatural element of the film - moving from knowing nothing, to disbelief to ultimately the exorcism of Reagan was handled in a mature and carefully stated way
However, The Exorcist is a film that speaks to me on many levels and provides chills whenever it is watched. William Friedkin, your seminal horror film is a masterpiece. A showcase of the art for thrills and chills. No wonder it caused such a stir on release back in 1973...
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