HALLOWEEN HORROR BINGE ROUNDUP #1
31 days, how many movies? I don't know yet. Some I'll have seen, some I won't. Some will be 'classics', others drivel. But October's always a good excuse for a total binge. Kicking off with;
01/10/21
HAUNT – I’d steer clear of those ‘live action haunted house experience’ type things this Halloween, apparently they’re all run by psychos in weird masks. Illustrative of what happens to young persons trapped in genre-specific environments these days, ‘Haunt’ is a fairly standard run-through of all the tropes you might anticipate, although it’s bolstered by some nice atmosphere, visuals and imagery, all of which complement the expected moderate gore. Reasonably enjoyable, all told.
02/10/21
WRAITH – Charlie Sheen is burnin’ rubber in this none-more-eighties hotrodfest. He’s out for revenge against an evil gang whilst the soundtrack blares non-stop soft metal. The supernatural elements become clearer as the sequences involving fast cars recede. Pure cinematic junk food, but flavoursome nonetheless.
CONQUEST – My god, I’d forgotten how downright bizarre this one is. The film is blurry to the point of hallucination, a shit sub-Conan rip-off never truly seen, only ever half-glimpsed through the veil of a feverish dream. Faceless barbarians, laser arrows, hairy Morlocks ripping flesh, some dude on a quest that doesn’t make sense… leave it to Fulci, here at the pinnacle of his madness.
WICKED CITY – This manic, fx-heavy action horror from Tsui Hark features an overdose of sub-Carpenterian ‘The Thing’ type set pieces, although the vibe is probably more in tune with a caffeine-addled afternoon spent in a seventies Dr Who prop department that has been lit by people who do rock videos. At one point, someone seems to shag a pinball machine.
Wow, haven't done three in a row for ages. I'm tired now, I think I need to lie down...
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