Last movie watched...

[repoman]

Joker was alright in that 'watch it once but never again' kind of way.  It felt like a slog in the same way that the recent Batman films did but I didn't hate it.

I just watched Halloween Kills and, much like all the Halloween films, it was terrible in every way.

Also watched The Descent 2 which was a disappointing retread of the first film and entirely unnecessary.

I love horror anthology/portmanteau films so I also rewatched V/H/S and V/H/S/2.  Both of which are highly variable in scares, acting and quality but both watchable enough.

[Hawkmumbler]

I just watched Halloween Kills and, much like all the Halloween films, it was terrible in every way.

'The Halloween III: Season of the Witch enjoyer has logged online'

[pictsy]

The best comment I saw was along the lines of: "A puddle seems deep if you've never seen the ocean".

Yeah, that about sums it up.

[milstar]

I didn't enjoy Joker either. Films like Taxi Driver and Falling Down did a much better job in more entertaining (and more artful) ways.

The praise Joker got is unbelievable. And I agree, Taxi Driver, Falling Down, I'd add King of Comedy are much more engaging movies (although I am not too keen on Falling Down). Joker is borefest, while I am aware that Arthur lives a fucked up life, like many, it's pointless drive into someone's madness. Worse, the film managed to drew the worst feelings out of me.

[pictsy]

Hellraiser: Inferno

It was an improvement.  It's cheesy and cheap and clearly riffs off better movies.  But for everything shoddy about the film it is actually coherent.  It is easy to follow and pretty engaging.  For a DtV it's not too bad.  I understand why people wouldn't like this film, but I do think it is better than the previous two instalments in every regard.  The visual designs and effects are far better than they have any right to be.  We don't have a return to the Cenobites agenda, exactly, but at least it's reasonable and in keeping why they do what they do.  The noir narration is kind of funny.  It gets forgotten about for large chunks of the film so is weird when it keeps popping back in.

Anyway, yes, it's an improvement and I'm glad it's largely what I remember it being.  It has huge amounts of potential but I didn't feel robbed for it not meeting that potential.

Tonight is the first of the Hellraiser films I haven't seen before.  If it can just stay better than Bloodlines then I'll be a happy camper.  Dammit, I should have used that as a joke when writing about the Friday the 13th films.  What a missed opportunity.  *groan*

[Colin YNWA]

I need to watch a good film soon!

Well YAY I think I found one... well maybe not that good but certainly enjoyable. Dave Made a Maze, the title says it all... well except for the fact that he made the maze out of cardboard, in his living room... and its a LOT bigger on the inside... and has death traps and monsters. There's blood (well red crate paper) and guts (pink crate paper) a plenty.

You know what it could be said to be a better examination of mental health than Joker, though its probably a better reading to say its about creativity, but either way its a damn sight more interesting. Yes it does dance with being twee and cute a little too much BUT just about stays on the right side of the line. More importantly it remains entertaining for all of its 82 minutes (yes a film that realises you can tell a good story in under 2 1/2 hours!) and has a great ending.

Worth a watch if you fancy a horror comedy that's a bit different.

[Dandontdare]

DUNE (2021)

Absolutely blows chunks. If you enjoyed all the scenes of space ships landing in the SW: Prequels I'm glad someone made a compilation playlist for those weirdos.

I mentioned this description to someone and was told that the correct response should have been (verbatim):

"I'm sorry you couldn't see past that. There's some brilliant acting and storytelling in this movie."

Not seen it, just passing on the message. So that's you told!

[pictsy]

I need to watch a good film soon!

Well YAY I think I found one... well maybe not that good but certainly enjoyable. Dave Made a Maze, the title says it all... well except for the fact that he made the maze out of cardboard, in his living room... and its a LOT bigger on the inside... and has death traps and monsters. There's blood (well red crate paper) and guts (pink crate paper) a plenty.

You know what it could be said to be a better examination of mental health than Joker, though its probably a better reading to say its about creativity, but either way its a damn sight more interesting. Yes it does dance with being twee and cute a little too much BUT just about stays on the right side of the line. More importantly it remains entertaining for all of its 82 minutes (yes a film that realises you can tell a good story in under 2 1/2 hours!) and has a great ending.

Worth a watch if you fancy a horror comedy that's a bit different.

The premise has me sold.  It's on my list for post-halloween.

[Hawkmumbler]

I mentioned this description to someone and was told that the correct response should have been (verbatim):

"I'm sorry you couldn't see past that. There's some brilliant acting and storytelling in this movie."

Not seen it, just passing on the message. So that's you told!

Oh damn, they got me.

[repoman]

I just watched Halloween Kills and, much like all the Halloween films, it was terrible in every way.

'The Halloween III: Season of the Witch enjoyer has logged online'

Say what you will about Halloween 3 but it's the only one in the franchise that isn't boring.

[Hawkmumbler]

Halloween III is superb. By far and away my favourite entry in the series, though then again, my second favourite entry if Rob Zombies Halloween II so once again my taste is at best suspect.

[repoman]

Halloween III is superb. By far and away my favourite entry in the series, though then again, my second favourite entry if Rob Zombies Halloween II so once again my taste is at best suspect.

H3 is fun and it feels a lot more like a John Carpenter film than the first one did.  It's definitely got a They Live thing going on with it.  It's not very cohesive.  Like early on a guy is killed by the world's slowest car but then it turns out he was probably a super-strong robot.  Also, considering her dad was just horribly murdered, the lead actress seems incredibly flirty.

But it's enjoyable and that's the main thing.

Rob's got this thing where most of his horror seems to be based around redneck types being pricks and I turned off his first Halloween film about five minutes in after some dickhead yelled 'I'm gunna skullf**k yewww in the eye' or something.  Not for me that.

[pictsy]

Hellraiser: Hellseeker

Still better than the third and forth instalments.  This film is much in the same vein as Inferno.  More psychological than straight horror.  It could have benefited from a more charismatic lead as we are being asked to sympathise with the character throughout.  Also, there is a really dodgy effect close to the end that ridiculous beyond words.  The story is pretty basic, but solid and it's easy to follow despite going all over the place (almost Catch 22 style).  Again, it's cheesy and shoddy.  Still better than it has any right to be and not an awful watch.

Kirsty returns for this film and I have to wonder why no one thought to just reintroduce the original Cenobite designs.  It's not like there is an actual continuity to worry about.  Maybe someone did think to do it and wasn't taken seriously.  I mean, I like Doug Bradley as Pinhead but the character is one dimensional and has lost all they're edge by this point.  In fact, most of that edge was lost in II.

[repoman]

Pictsy, one of the Hellraiser films was on Netflix a few years back.  It was about a cop.  Pinhead and the rest were barely in it.

Hilariously, the blurb on it said something like 'starring the smouldering Dean Winters.'

[SmallBlueThing(Reborn)]

 Me and my eldest went to Halloween Kills earlier this week, and we had a great time. Admittedly, the plot is non-existent, replaced instead by just a sequence of stalk-and-kill scenes and a set-up for the next one. But my god it's brutal. I'd have to rewatch Rob Zombie's H2 to be sure, but I would say it's surely a contender for the 'most extreme' entry in the franchise. Some genuinely nasty moments, of the kind that back in the day would have seen it nobbled by the rozzers and on a government list. The knife in the eye socket being a particular stand-out. Two of the kills made me and the boy laugh out loud (the car door bounce and Michael trying out various knives on the husband of the elderly couple) which may have made us look like a couple of nutters in the cinema, but the accompanying shrieks and grimaces from the rest of the audience made it all worth it.

To be honest, it only really felt like a Halloween film for me in the last ten minutes or so, when Michael got his mask ripped off. But the mistaken identity sequence in the hospital, while surely intended to be profound in some way, was scuppered by a) The comedy design of the escaped patient, and b) "Evil dies tonight!" repeated endlessly to the point of becoming the horror equivalent of those adverts that just make you want to go full-on Myers and murder everyone in the vicinity. "Scott's home early!" indeed.

I'm quite a fan of the Halloween series- and especially how they can be now watched in a number of ways, taking various paths through the (by next year) thirteen films. I'm assuming the final film will draw attention to this, and I'm expecting some kind of double ending, with a coda featuring the story being told to a bunch of kids on Halloween night, the various continuities being joked about in the dialogue, and then a reveal of Michael standing outside the house, looking in. Or something. Hopefully with Silver Shamrock masks, the Cult of Thorn and a woman on a white horse very much in evidence.

And I look forward to Halloween 14- even more so if they have the balls to call it just 'Halloween' again.

SBT