Last movie watched...

[TordelBack]

...having spent the opening five minutes badmouthing her husband's no-good brother, it takes 'Julia' all of five seconds to jump into bed with him...

Ain't that just like a dame. 

But I agree with you, truly superb make-up and monster design aside, I could never stand Hellraiser, or associated. I'm not a big Barker fan in general, Weaveworld and perhaps the first Books of Blood omnibus (largely on the grounds of VFM) aside. 

[Theblazeuk]

Watched Candmany for the first time yesterday despite years of torturing my friend with his fears of it.

Wasn't very impressed beyond one scene which was both hilarious and quite shocking, largely because it's like it's just some guy hiding behind the chair the whole time.

[JamesC]

...having spent the opening five minutes badmouthing her husband's no-good brother, it takes 'Julia' all of five seconds to jump into bed with him...

Ain't that just like a dame. 

But I agree with you, truly superb make-up and monster design aside, I could never stand Hellraiser, or associated. I'm not a big Barker fan in general, Weaveworld and perhaps the first Books of Blood omnibus (largely on the grounds of VFM) aside.

I remember liking Nightbreed quite a bit but it's never on telly and doesn't seem to be available on DVD.
There were some great monsters in Nightbreed and there was a decent comic book version that featured in Marvels UK's short lived 'Meltdown'.
There was also an Amiga game that was ridiculously difficult.

[JOE SOAP]

I remember liking Nightbreed quite a bit but it's never on telly and doesn't seem to be available on DVD.

There's a story there.

[Recrewt]

Keeping in the spirit of things, I recently watched Hellraiser. Christ, what a turkey.

Whaaaaat?  Hellraiser is a brilliant horror movie.  Given, the acting is not always the best but c'mon this is a horror movie we are talking about.  The whole sex/death thing is very Clive Barker and Doug Bradley is indeed fantastic.  As pinhead, he has to be the most charismatic modern horror movie monster that I can think of.  Julia is not in love with Frank she obsesses/lusts after him just as Frank obsesses/lusts after the experiences the cenobites offer.   

[JamesC]

I remember liking Nightbreed quite a bit but it's never on telly and doesn't seem to be available on DVD.

There's a story there.

That's brilliant news! Thanks for the heads up Joe!

[shaolin_monkey]

Me and the girls just finished watching Ghostbusters for the nth time. It's a post Halloween tradition.

That film never gets old. It's hard to believe it was made almost 30 years ago.  It still seems so fresh and funny, and the effects have barely aged.  Kudos to the creative team behind it. 

It is such a quotable film too - the girls get really annoyed when I say the lines seconds before the characters. Of course, their irritation makes me do it all the more. That's what dads are for! 

[JamesC]

Ghostbusters is a masterclass in film making. I love the fact that in the very first scene you get to see, what is most probably everyone's first mental image of a ghost, and yet the film still has so much more to offer after that initial payoff.
It's quite strange how adult some of the jokes are, but I never got any of the sex references as a kid.
In some ways it's probably the closest thing to a live action Pixar film. It certainly has a similar feel.

[Dark Jimbo]

Keeping in the spirit of things, I recently watched Hellraiser. Christ, what a turkey.

Whaaaaat?  Hellraiser is a brilliant horror movie.  Given, the acting is not always the best but c'mon this is a horror movie we are talking about.  The whole sex/death thing is very Clive Barker and Doug Bradley is indeed fantastic.  As pinhead, he has to be the most charismatic modern horror movie monster that I can think of.  Julia is not in love with Frank she obsesses/lusts after him just as Frank obsesses/lusts after the experiences the cenobites offer.   

Well, I stand by what I said - but I did also get around to watching Hellraiser II: Hellbound, which is a vastly superior film in almost every way. The few members of the original cast who return either have mercifully tiny supporting roles or have actually learned how to act in the interim - Clare Higgins in particular is suddenly really good, and one of the best things in this film! Kenneth Cranham is the only new 'major' character and really holds the sequel together as the villianous Doctor Channard. The film recycles the 'build-me-a-new-body-from-murdered-victims' plot from the first, but this time pulls it off a bit more convincingly. Channard's obsession with hellspawn and demon suffering give him a plausible reason to go along with it all - he's long since become jaded by this stuff, and for him it's merely a means to an end - and he looks suitably disgusted at the thought of kissing someone with no skin. The second act takes the action to the hell dimension and things really pick up all round. The returning Cenobites get plenty of screen-time, the hints at their origins are great and subtly done, and there's a lovely fantasy-style feel to proceedings as the various groups of characters journey through the endless corridors of hell meeting various souls in torment. A sequel that triumphs over its forebear in every way.

Unfortunately this newfound goodwill towards the series led to me watching Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, which saw standards plummet again. Felt more like a 90's made-for-tv movie than anything else. I got about halfway through but then decided life is probably too short and called my dalliance with this series done.

[Goaty]

I like part 1 and 2 of Hellraiser. brilliant dark. but disappointing to hear that they will remake it!

[Greg M.]

I did also get around to watching Hellraiser II: Hellbound, which is a vastly superior film in almost every way.

I enjoy Hellraiser well enough, though I wouldn't class it as a classic. My main requirements for a horror movie are mood, atmosphere and memorable visuals, compared to which acting and plot fall very distant seconds, so those weaknesses don't bother me. That said, I have to agree with the quoted sentiment above: II is undoubtedly the better film. A lot of the potential from the first film is finally realised: the mythology becomes a lot more interesting and better-developed, Pinhead becomes more of a character and the stuff in the labyrinth is great fun. It also boasts some striking images - Leviathan in the sky, the transfigured Channard - and the whole thing's much more Grand Guignol and over-the-top, which is very much in its favour.

[Ancient Otter]

Blood on Satan's Claw. Maybe a bit overhyped, I thought it was just okay.

[Hawkmumbler]

Blood on Satan's Claw. Maybe a bit overhyped, I thought it was just okay.

I've always viewed it that way. It's a good film, but not a patch on Witchfinder General and The Wickerman or Don't Look Now. The best of british horror.

[Greg M.]

Blood on Satan's Claw. Maybe a bit overhyped, I thought it was just okay.

"Give me my skinnnn!" The film's critical standing has definitely rocketed in the last decade, but I absolutely love it. For me, it's got that indefinable something special - the atmosphere is hugely evocative, though the ending is a bit abrupt. Brilliant soundtrack, and I love the look of the devil in it - his horrible bat face is very memorable. It might just make it into the lower reaches of my top five British horror films - if it doesn't, it's a close-run thing. I'd rate it above Witchfinder General, but not above The Wicker Man. (Oooh, controversial!)

[Ancient Otter]

Brilliant soundtrack

Oh yeah that reminded the soundtrack sounded really bad on the copy of the dvd, like it seemed to cut out when playing. The picture was fine so I don't think the disc is crocked, anyone else had a problem like that?