October Horror Movie Marathon

[Frankie Teardrop]

PONTYPOOL – Taking Romero out of the equation, films starring massive hordes of zombies have always been a bit of a yawn in my book – I vastly prefer the Fulci approach ie keep ‘em maggot-faced and in the shadows. But all that post-’28 Days Later’ shite and the mark it’s left on the genre, you can throw it in the trash for all I care. Most of the time. On the other hand, I’m always up for people messing with the template a little bit, which brings me to late noughties Canadian indie ‘Pontypool’ and its host of interesting diversions. It’s set entirely within an isolated radio station just as the local population erupts in a ‘The Crazies’ inspired flurry of viral mayhem, leaving us alone in the presence of grizzled DJ Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) and his producer Sydney (Lisa Houle), who have no choice but to barricade themselves in and report on the chaos as it unfolds. What follows is an exercise in tense minimalism that allows us to grasp the surrounding horror only through the same route as its characters, via a series of increasingly panicked reports from the ground. It reminded me a little of an episode of Nigel Kneale’s seventies ITV series ‘Beasts’ called ‘During Barty’s Party’, where an irritating bourgeois couple are left high and dry in their suburban home by a swarm of rats and find that their only lifeline is the radio DJ – ‘Pontypool’ replicates the same mixture of talky claustrophobia, brewing madness closing in from the outside, and radio report hysteria, and funnily enough I got a similar arcane broadcast vibe from my recent viewing of ‘Ghostwatch’. But the more interesting thing about ‘Pontypool’ is its central conceit about how the mystery epidemic contaminates and spreads. Its victims babble excessively rather than munch flesh, and it turns out that it’s through language itself that the infection transmits, an idea that seems at least a little bit indebted to William Burroughs (though I remember reading an interview with author Tony Burgess, on whose ‘Pontypool’ trilogy the film is based, and he seemed to deny any direct inspiration). There are a couple of stumbles (I didn’t really like some of the humour that creeps in later on, apart from one laugh out loud moment when the producer recalls a colleague who’s just died), but overall ‘Pontypool’ is an absorbing and sometimes riveting demonstration of barebones horror, one that drives home high concept chills using little more than a single set and that ultimate instrument of fear, the human voice.

[Nordicdusk]

30 Days of Unseen Horror

Day 19

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After pulling of a heist and bagging 3.5 million dollars the gang hijack a small aircraft owned by a father and his daughter. Forced to fly to Mexico one of the gang decides to double cross his friends and he bails out of the plane with the loot landing in a creepy graveyard surrounded by Scarecrows. Now it's crook vervus crook verses scarecrow.

Scarecrows is a really great idea and a great setting a little creepy abandoned farm house next to a graveyard loved it. The scarecrows have a great look to them if you bumped into one in broad daylight you would be creeped out let alone in the middle of the night. The gore effects are pretty cool especially the skinless face guy with the night goggles I loved that one.

The acting is ok but it's really let down my the horrendous dialogue this place is haunted by a demonic deamon and the guy banging one about his harmonica randomly in the middle of a high tension situation

Not great not terrible and it's nice to see Bonnie Tyler try her hand at horror

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

I don't think i can recall a horror film with a more ludicrous plot than this Michael Myers free installment of the Halloween franchise.

The central theme of stealing one of the Stonehenge standing stones, transporting it to the states then placing fragments of it in millions of Halloween masks so a nefarious corporation can kill millions of mask wearers, thanks to a trigger from a tv commercial, and act as a huge mass sacrifice to bring back an era of witchcraft is utterly ludicrous.

Halloween III is the John Carpenter film he didn't make yet his influence is all over it. The score half inches most of his other works and the plot has echoes of They Live, a full six years before its release, as star Tom Atkins creeps around in a world of paranoia and deceit, slowly being driven round the bend by the Silver Shamrock song which seemingly plagues every tv channel in the US.

Still, it's all bloody good fun.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1961)

Hammer takes the overused Stephenson tale of Jekyll and Hyde and gives it a twist. Instead of a good looking doctor turning into a beastly brute this has a bearded scholar fella becoming a dashing playboy who falls for London's party girls aided by a lecherous Christopher Lee.

The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is fairly forgettable after the fact yet whilst watching it is rather enjoyable. Both Christopher Lee and Canadian born actor Paul Massie are miscast in as much as you'd think their roles would be reversed but they too also work with Lee the charming rogue especially good fun. Dawn Adams as Jekyll's wife is at the heart of the story with the affair she has with Lee the catalyst to Massie's experimentations.

In truth there's probably not as much horror here as in the majority of Hammer Gothic thrillers but it's all so beautifully crafted with director Terence Fisher giving it an air of class.

Indicator's Blu-ray looks gorgeous with colours popping out of the screen.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

With the weather being dark and stormy i think there will be a change to what i'd planned this night with a trip taken to James Whale's Old Dark House instead.

[J Harker]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

I don't think i can recall a horror film with a more ludicrous plot than this Michael Myers free installment of the Halloween franchise.

The central theme of stealing one of the Stonehenge standing stones, transporting it to the states then placing fragments of it in millions of Halloween masks so a nefarious corporation can kill millions of mask wearers, thanks to a trigger from a tv commercial, and act as a huge mass sacrifice to bring back an era of witchcraft is utterly ludicrous.

Halloween III is the John Carpenter film he didn't make yet his influence is all over it. The score half inches most of his other works and the plot has echoes of They Live, a full six years before its release, as star Tom Atkins creeps around in a world of paranoia and deceit, slowly being driven round the bend by the Silver Shamrock song which seemingly plagues every tv channel in the US.

Still, it's all bloody good fun.

I watched this one Wednesday night. I really need to catch up on my reviews.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[MrBarlow]

Shrooms. 2007.

A group of American students arrive in Ireland for a weekend of taking magic mushrooms and slowly being picked off by a killer.

This I have only seen twice now and still not sure what to make of it. Yeah it's something that deals with magic mushrooms and hallucinations and generally having a good trip on them. The teens are basically your usual students willing to try anything in a area that a backstory of a local legend that becomes a more foccused on the story. The kills are nothing new we have seen with a serial killer. The twist at the end was expected but never really goes anywhere or even explained on why the person went a bit loopy or was it a very psychotic episode to a bad trip. No doubt this will be watched a third time.

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[Nordicdusk]

30 Days of Unseen Horror

Day 20

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After receiving the news that he has only months to live John Kramer is left devasted and desperate but when he bumps into a man he met at a cancer support group who has gone from stage 4 terminal cancer to cancer free after an experimental surgery cured him John see light at the end of the tunnel. Travelling to Mexico to a hidden remote area John's surgery is a success but he discovers the whole thing is a scam to rob dying people of their money. John's revenge will be bloody and brutal but there will be a chance to redeem themselves all they have to do is play a little game.

Saw X bridges the gap between Saw and Saw II giving a little more depth to John's character and it takes the opportunity to explore his human side. There is some small heartwarming moments seeing him connect with a couple of people well he tries to anyway some exploit his kindness but there is some that are too pure to deceive an old kind man showing us that although rare and hard to find there is some good still left out there.

But what Saw is known for is gore and games and Saw X doesn't disappoint. The gore looks great and feels horrible and once again your sitting there thinking what would you do is it better to face death usually quickly or mutilate yourself in hopes to survive but there is also the question would it be even worth living you may be physically alive but mentally your not coming back.

There are a few glaring mistakes that were inconsistent with things that were said earlier in the film and later contradicted these moments didn't spoil my enjoyment of the film I'm just pointing out that they are there.

Overall a great entry in the series.

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Shrooms. 2007.

A group of American students arrive in Ireland for a weekend of taking magic mushrooms and slowly being picked off by a killer.

This I have only seen twice now and still not sure what to make of it. Yeah it's something that deals with magic mushrooms and hallucinations and generally having a good trip on them. The teens are basically your usual students willing to try anything in a area that a backstory of a local legend that becomes a more foccused on the story. The kills are nothing new we have seen with a serial killer. The twist at the end was expected but never really goes anywhere or even explained on why the person went a bit loopy or was it a very psychotic episode to a bad trip. No doubt this will be watched a third time.

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I find it hard watching films set in Ireland because we are usually depicted a stupid imbred fools I mean we are that but I don't want everyone else to know

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

I find it hard watching films set in Ireland because we are usually depicted a stupid imbred fools I mean we are that but I don't want everyone else to know

Just like us Scots