Cult Labs - October Horror Movie Marathon

October 2023 so far -

1. No One Will Save You (Disney+) - first time watch - my attention was drawn to this when Stephen King tweeted his approval. It’s an interesting one - zero dialogue other than the occasional noise to indicate mood or shock (or screaming). It begins like a home invasion story involving aliens, pacing fairly quickly but then climaxing the tension too soon by allowing you to see the alien too early. Then it changes direction and it more of a slower paced dread builder. Worth a watch.

2. The Greasy Strangler - I love this film and I enjoy sticking it on now and again just so I can refresh my memory on the infinitely quotable, mostly NFSW, bits of dialogue. Recommended if you enjoy off the wall bits of madness.

3. Cujo - first time watch - Mrs Funster isn’t a fan of horror at all, but she and I are both big fans of creature features (and will pretty much watch anything with Sharks in it). For some reason or another she’s always been resistant to watching Cujo. The film must have too much of a terrifying reputation for her to want to risk it! I hadn’t seen it before and I enjoyed the bat attack and progression of the dogs symptoms. I’m left wondering how accurate it would be to a real life rabies case! [emoji23] I’ll end up on the Wikipedia wormhole soon. The actor playing the wee boy was great! All the freaking out and screaming, then the seizures and stuff - all looked spot on. Reminded me of the young lad from The Babadook.

4. Lover’s Lane - first time watch - I’d heard horrible things about this movie but was super keen to see it. I’m a sucker for the cover artwork - I *always* judge a book by its cover, so to speak [emoji23] I really enjoyed this. I think I had a smile on my face for the whole film. It was like American Pie crossed with Scream with a little bit of That 70s Show thrown in (“Michael! Michael! Michael!). Some good kill scenes and some good fun cliched characters and dialogue. I’ll be watching it again, no doubt.

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Greasy Strangler is amazing the exchange with Oinker and his new shoes and that Michael Jackson story cracks me up every time I watch it and I have watched it many times :lol:

Demdike@Cult Labs

5th October 2023 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuckyFunster (Post 691503)

October 2023 so far -

3. Cujo - first time watch - Mrs Funster isn’t a fan of horror at all, but she and I are both big fans of creature features (and will pretty much watch anything with Sharks in it). For some reason or another she’s always been resistant to watching Cujo. The film must have too much of a terrifying reputation for her to want to risk it! I hadn’t seen it before and I enjoyed the bat attack and progression of the dogs symptoms. I’m left wondering how accurate it would be to a real life rabies case! [emoji23] I’ll end up on the Wikipedia wormhole soon. The actor playing the wee boy was great! All the freaking out and screaming, then the seizures and stuff - all looked spot on. Reminded me of the young lad from The Babadook.

The UK series The Mad Death is probably the most accurate when it comes to defining rabies, it's effects and symptoms. Well worth getting the UK dvd if you've never seen it. I remember seeing it when it was shown on tv. It ****in' scared the crap out of me.

Demdike@Cult Labs

5th October 2023 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop (Post 691504)

A DARK SONG – Unlike a lot of genre product, 2016 indie ‘A Dark Song’ takes a thoughtful approach to the occult. Its use of shadowy esoterica bespeaks a seriousness of intent, and somewhere between that and its claustrophobic set-up lurks an atmosphere of real menace. In it, Catherine Walker plays a woman who has retreated to a remote manor to immerse herself in a gruelling ritual; Steve Oram is the gnostic specialist who will guide her. The mood is set from the start, when we see that Oram is clearly quite a volatile character and Walker isn’t really being very straightforward about her reasons for being there. The tension between the two occasionally spills over into violence, but, more insidiously, it infects the world around them, darkening mundane events and throwaway encounters to the point where they seem charged with threat and significance – a woman whispers to her child in a car park, a bird flies into the side of the house – or perhaps it’s the other way around, and the deepening mood is a consequence of hermetic realities seeping through. ‘A Dark Song’ doesn’t necessarily give us any easy answers, and instead presents its lead character’s descent into murky depths, a journey that eventually crescendos into full-tilt otherworldliness. An impressively sinister slow burn, well worth a look.

This is one of the Blu-rays i have waiting for me when i need something to take an Amazon order over £25 for free delivery. I might make it a priority now. :cool:

Demdike@Cult Labs

5th October 2023 05:22 PM

October 4th.

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May (2002)

Lucky McKee's directorial debut and a film he has never bettered as of yet. May is a psychological horror film about a young woman who had a difficult childhood and very few social interactions. May's only true friend is a doll in a glass case given to her by her mother. She works at an LA animal hospital assisting with surgeries and her only possible friend is receptionist and colleague Polly who flirts with her. May soon strikes up a relationship with a guy who apparently likes 'weird' and May is certainly weird....

May is an excellent yet awkward horror film. A standout performance from Angela Bettis is at the centre of the film as she sweeps all before her with her quirky but adorably attractive looks and mannerisms. Although Anna Faris' Polly, someone who seems more bonkers than May, is great and could easily have stolen the film had Bettis given a lesser performance.

As the film goes on we become emotionally involved with May, or at least i do. It's quite a tragic film at times and must resonate with a lot of lonely souls. Other scenes will have you squirming yet unable to take your eyes away from the screen, especially the blind children scrabbling about on their hands and knees in broken glass. Meanwhile May herself goes from timid mouse to terrifyingly sexy Goth chic (Am i the only one who found killing spree May in her claret dress extremely erotic? - Perhaps it's best not to answer that one) as the film explodes in a brutal orgy of violence and a final act that i won't spoil here other than to say it owes a lot to a classic Gothic novel.

Watching the dvd again last night it was a film clearly shot on video and i'm not sure how the recent Second Sight Blu-ray will look any better. But i'm tempted.

Demdike@Cult Labs

5th October 2023 06:01 PM

October 4th (2)

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The Queen of Spades (1949)

The first time i saw this i was rather underwhelmed so what of a second viewing?

Well it's a splendid looking British supernatural thriller and is beautifully directed by Thorold Dickinson. Leading man Anton Walbrook is terrific as a down on his luck army captain who sells his soul to the devil in order to always win at cards and there are one or two scenes that are fraught with tension but there are far too many scenes of toffs dancing at grand balls which are basically filler. Having said that there are also some wonderful wintry scenes in the St Petersburg night air which had me grasping for a quilt for extra warmth.

For all the brooding unease of the last half hour the rest is just far too dull. It was after all adapted from a short story by Alexander Pushkin and would have suited a horror anthology akin to Bava's Black Sabbath (As with Tolstoy's The Wurdulak) rather than a 100 minute film.

The likes of Martin Scorsese (He does an introduction to the film for StudioCanal) and Wes Anderson bloody love this but i just can't get immersed in it at all.

I'll finish with this quote from Scorsese...because, what do i know?

"This stunning film is one of the few true classics of supernatural cinema."

MrBarlow

5th October 2023 08:53 PM

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Scream 3. 2000.

David, Courtney and Neve return under the guidance of Wes for a new installment of the ghostface killer, this time, the movie Stab 3 is in progress and the cast are the target for a copycat killer.

First time seeing this and it didnt seem to be that entertainig for me, having Lance Henriksen and im sure there was a cameo appearance by Roger Corman show up was a nice touch and Carrie Fisher making a remark about a character and Jamie Kennedy making a video tape were the laughing points. At times i was sat here and nearly loosing interest. Maybe a rewatch of thisay happen.

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Demoncrat

5th October 2023 08:55 PM

After the new Backrooms video gave me the willies, I needed someting comforting ....

The Thing (1982)

What can I say about a film that I think I've watched over 100 times ahem. I still see something new every time.
Is it the last great 70's film cough cough? Hmm. Calm down.
An isolated group fend off an unseen terror. It's a lovely old trope innit? Sort of soothing don't you know ...
Ahem. I still remember how depressed I was after leaving the cinema that time. What a film. :hail:

Justin101

5th October 2023 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrBarlow (Post 691529)

Scream 3. 2000.

David, Courtney and Neve return under the guidance of Wes for a new installment of the ghostface killer, this time, the movie Stab 3 is in progress and the cast are the target for a copycat killer.

First time seeing this and it didnt seem to be that entertainig for me, having Lance Henriksen and im sure there was a cameo appearance by Roger Corman show up was a nice touch and Carrie Fisher making a remark about a character and Jamie Kennedy making a video tape were the laughing points. At tokes i was sat here and nearly loosing interest. Maybe a rewatch of thisay happen.

Attachment 248211

I watched this last night lol. It wasn’t my first time, probably 5th or 6th haha, it’s the 5th worst Scream film, but I enjoyed it much more last night that the last time I watched it. The worst thing about it is the killer reveal is such a let down. Parker Posey though is amazingly psychotic as Gale Weathers lol.

MrBarlow

5th October 2023 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin101 (Post 691531)

Was nice seeing one Gail punching another Gail in the film :lol:

Demdike@Cult Labs

5th October 2023 10:32 PM

October 4th (3)

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The Final Conflict (1981)

The story of Damien Thorn comes to a close with this third chapter.

Set around the countdown of the second coming Damien (Sam Neill) is in a position of power in the US government and sent back to Britain as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom; The same title his father held in the first Omen film. However Thorn is followed by a group of priests led by South Pacific star Rossano Brazzi, who carry with them the Seven Daggers of Megiddo - the only way to kill the Antichrist before he can prevent the second coming of Christ by ordering his followers to kill all boys born in England on the morning of March 24, 1981 to prevent Christ's return to power

Seemingly more authentic with it's return to British locations and creepier with it, The Final Conflict sadly suffers from diminishing returns syndrome.

Although the idea of killing children is pretty grim it's the early death of the US Ambassador prior to Damien that is the films most memorable aspect with the shotgun blast to the head when his office door is opened.

The rest of the film kind of muddles by in a 'seven guys try to stab Damien in the back scenario' - talk about an underwhelming way of preventing Armageddon until Christ himself matter of factly kills Damien in the final scene whilst at a monastery in North Yorkshire.

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