What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Gojirosan]

Originally Posted by Handyman Joe

Early 80s slashers can be an emotive subject on horror forums - many people are fiercely protective of them, love them even. There is of course no problem with this - 20 years ago I was one of said afficionados. As the years go by though and I become an old fart in my 40s I honestly struggle to defend them on an artistic level - they're formulas plain and simple -. masks/nerds/breasts/kills - As I said in my post my nostalgia and undimmed love of gore effects means I still watch them but as far as quality goes, no siree!

I am also an old fart in my 40s, and have never been much of a fan of slashers for the sake of them. I agree that they are mostly formulaic and little better than inept. I think MBV stands head and shoulders above the pack.

I thought the remake was decent enough too. One of the best remakes I've seen.

[Handyman Joe]

Originally Posted by Gojirosan

I am also an old fart in my 40s, and have never been much of a fan of slashers for the sake of them. I agree that they are mostly formulaic and little better than inept. I think MBV stands head and shoulders above the pack.

I thought the remake was decent enough too. One of the best remakes I've seen.

Agreed on that, MBV and The Hills Have Eyes are the only 'classic' remakes I own, both delivered on the adrenalin front.

[James Morton]

MY BLOODY VALENTINE and THE PROWLER are two of the best slashers ever
the MBV remake is one of the better remakes along with I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (uncut of course) and PIRANHA
I know there not slashers but as remakes....

[PaulD]

Originally Posted by James Morton

MY BLOODY VALENTINE and THE PROWLER are two of the best slashers ever

I very much agree with this. Two of the best post-Halloween slashers out there

[Baseball Fury]

Originally Posted by Gojirosan

Friday The 13th (2009) - I tried to watch this once before and couldn't get past half and hour or so. For some reason I thought I'd give it another go.

An appalling and utterly worthless waste of time and effort. A truly bad film.

I am wondering of Marcus Nispel might actually be worse than Zack Snyder.

This is what me and Clint thought of that particular slice of celluloid.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I like that. Shame its too big a file to use as an avatar.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Daemonia

I've always liked Altered States. Probably not Russell's best film, but I enjoy the ridiculously trippy nature of the film. Although it does get a bit silly towards the end. When I was a youngster and I first saw the film, what he goes through to achieve an altered state used to baffle me, I thought 'Why not just drop some acid? Job done.' Of course, now I'm older, I understand that the film is a psychedelic voyage of self-discovery. Well, it could be many things, but that's how I read it.

Hmm, I think the supplies had been a little watered down by the time I did the 'enhanced' bit in the nineties, but I love the genuinely exploratory accounts of Lilly, McKenna et al. I also prefer flicks that tap into that kind of imagery, although so many go for a hamfisted Matrixy approach. 'Videodrome' must for me remain in first place as far as films charting the shifting sands of the psyche go, although it's coming from a very different direction from 'Altered States', which I just like for the over-the-topness of the visuals rather than for any headf*ckery. Totally agree it's not his best film - I just wish (like everyone else) that someone would sort out 'The Devils'! Might go for it and get hold of 'Lair of the White Worm' too but it's been ages since I last saw it and I can't even remember whether I liked it.

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by DontBurnTheWitch

Watched a few films over the last weekend.

Started with Island of Death and Venus in Furs (both recorded off the Horror Channel).

Island of Death was fun in a sort "what the f**k are up to now" and "this acting is terrible" kind of way. Quite liked the irony of the lead couple torturing/murdering "perverts" (because being homosexual or french was a perversion in the 70's!) while being absolute full-on raving pervs themselves!

I fell asleep halfway through Venus... so will comment when I've seen it through.

Also watched Troll Hunter and Tucker and Dale vs Evil on DVD.

Troll Hunter was great. A good update to the "found footage" theme that went the opposite way to Cloverfield and Monsters in showing the Trolls in more of a Jurassic Park sense. Good fun if not predicatable.

Tucker and Dale was also a really fun hour and a half. Good twist on the backwoods hillbilly/slasher. Funny, some well set up deaths and a predictable twist.

Nothing thought provoking here but lots of entertainment!

Island Of Death seems like a ludicrous bit of fun now... could you ever imagine it as the indisputable public enemy it once was? Either we've all evolved or my brain and value system have curdled.
Which Venus In Furs was it? Was it the Jess Franco? If so, don't give up on it! I don't know whether you're familiar with it, but 'Succubus' by the same director is even more dream-like and fragmented.

[DryJack]

Had a double bill tonight. First up was "Dante 01", a French sci fi film. Nice to look at but the plot was poor and the ending just annoyed me. Second was "Arn - the knight templar". I really enjoyed this. At times quite beautiful and the battle scenes, although brief, were suitably brutal. Even a cynical old man like me couldn't help but be moved by the ending.

[nekromantik]

I dont understand the love for MBV remake.
Yeah its not as bad as the likes of NOES remake or Thing remake but its still pretty shoddy. The original walks all over it imo.