Thursday, June 26, 2008

salute my ass.

I've spent the evening screen capping the 'holy trinity', for pictures to use down the right hand side there.

Love renewed again, for those films. In particular:


Gaylen Ross. How beautiful is she? I love this point in the film, where they've just cleaned the place up and all have expensive new coats on.


Bub. Wonderful wonderful Bub. "That's right, Bub! Say hello to your Aunt Alicia! Say, "Hello, Aunt Alicia!" "Hello!" ".

Will we see him in the next Romero flick? It's been suggested, remember. Pre-zombie Bub? I think my brain just melted a bit. Sherman Howard is probably in good enough nick to take up the role again, with the help of make-up. It should be Howard or not at all, though. If you're gonna bring him back, then bring him back, don't be half arsed about it and bring in some nobody, labelling him as the beloved Bub, is all I'm sayin'.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

tune in, turn on, drop dead.

Oh man, loving the Rue Morgue website makeover. They've added lots of brilliantly illustrated B-movie inspired touches, like eyeballs on stalks, disembodied Franken-hands and wolfmen... ♥!

I think my whole obsession with America and Americana is going to slowly hone itself into an obsession with 50s/60s America B-movie and drive-in theatre culture. I'm sure I have an unrealistic and ill-informed view of all this stuff, but nonetheless it fascinates me and I simply bloody adore the aesthetic of it.




Friday, June 20, 2008

the difficult first post.

Inspired by the wonderful Final Girl blog, I started this one to give me somewhere to write about films. Specifically ones of the horror genre. I'm kind of hoping that by making a pretty blog for myself, it may help with the movie-related writer's block I've been suffering from... Hell, dying from. There's little else as frustrating for me as wholly loving (or even hating) certain slices of cinema, and being unable to put down in words just why.

I watched two and a half horror movies last night, hoping that at least one would stir me into writing about it. This is the dubious result.

The first film I slipped into the DVD player last night was, as a small tribute to Stacie Ponder herself (perhaps this is only clear to me, but the first time I read anything of hers, it mentioned she was a fan of this particular flick): Friday the 13th Part 2.

Found here.

I settled down not expecting a whole lot, as the first film hadn't really done anything for me at all. As a huge fan of the genre, I wanted to love it as the classic most others seem to... but I just don't think I get on with "horny teen campsite stalk'n'slash" horror films...? I used to think it was the 'retro' look of them (I'm thinking of The Burning here as well, which was an '81 release too) which put me off, but I love other 1980s horrors, so it can't be that. Also, sometimes it's exactly the off kilter fashions and different, "old" look to a film that makes it if not scarier then certainly more unnerving (off the top of my head: Dawn of the Dead, Black Christmas, Basket Case...).

So anyway, why can't I muster more than a shrug toward the two Friday the 13th films I have seen so far? What's missing?

Well whatever it is, maybe as I watch more of this franchise, and re-watch, I might grow to love them, who knows.

The things I did enjoy about this film were thus:

1) The opening sequence. Despite the fact a large part of it is handy flashbacks to the first film, once these are over with the sense of peril and unexpected (of sorts, remember I'm not familiar with Jason yet) payoff is pretty gripping.

2) Jason wearing a sack/pillowcase on his head (see above artwork). Far scarier than the later hockey mask look. An eye peering through a gap is always creepy!


I still have nightmares featuring this moment from Black Christmas. Remember the homage to it in Saw, as well? I am shuddering as I write this.

3) The fact the dog survived. Hardly ever happens in horror, sadly. Vive le pooch!

The rest of the film is the ups and downs of a slasher film: kids frolic, monster watches from afar, kids fuck, monster come closer, kids don't notice the monster coming at them through the haze of their afterglow, and therefore meet a bloody FX-impressive death. That's simplified sure, but you get the idea.

I think writing this has warmed me to it, slightly. I shall endeavour to borrow the next installment from Gavin, my horror DVD dealer, and see where it heads next. How many films are there in the franchise again?!

Friday, June 06, 2008

Looking for something in particular?

1922
28 Days Later...
30 Days of Night
The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen

a

Amityville II: The Possession - Final Girl Film Club
Angst
Antibirth
As Above, So Below

b

The Babadook
Baskin
The Beach House
Before I Wake
Better Watch Out
The Beyond / L'aldila - Final Girl Film Club
Beyond The Gates
Bird Box
Black Christmas (2006)
Black Sheep
Blair Witch
The Blair Witch Project
The Blob (1988)
The Blood Lands / White Settlers
The Borderlands / Final Prayer
Bound To Vengeance
Brightburn
Bug

c

Cabin Fever (2002)
Candyman
The Car - Final Girl Film Club
Cherry Tree Lane
The Children
Children of the Corn
Children of the Corn (2009) - Final Girl Film Club
The Collection (2012)
The Collector (2009)
Contracted
Creep
Creep 2
Crocodile

d

The Dark Tapes
Dawn of the Living Dead / Evil Grave: Curse of the Maya
Day of the Dead (2008)
Dead and Buried
Dead End
Dead Silence
Dead Snow / Død snø
Deadgirl
Def By Temptation
The Devil's Candy
Digging Up the Marrow
Donkey Punch

e

Eden Lake
Evil Aliens
Evil Dead (2013)

f

The Facility
Feast
The Final Girls
Five Across The Eyes
Food of the Gods - Final Girl Film Club
Friday the 13th Part 2
Frogs
The Funhouse - Final Girl Film Club

g

Gerald's Game
Grace

h

Halloween II
Hatchet
The Haunting In Connecticut
The Hamiltons
Holidays
Honeymoon
A Horrible Way To Die
Hostel
Hounds of Love
House / Hausu
The House of the Devil
House of Wax (2005)
Housebound
The Houses October Built

ij

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Jason Lives: Friday The 13th Part VI

k

Killing Ground
Kristy

l

Lake Nowhere
The Last Exorcism
Last House On The Left (2009)
Last Shift
Let The Right One In
Let Us Prey
Lifeforce
Little Deaths
The Loved Ones
Lumberjack Man

m

The Midnight Meat Train (and additional)
Midsommar
Mom and Dad
Mr. Jones
Mum & Dad
Murder Party
The Mutilator / Fall Break

n

The Neon Demon
The Nights of Terror - Final Girl Film Club
No One Lives

o

Oculus
The Open House

p

P2
Paradise Lost / Turistas
Pet Sematary (1989)
Pieces / Mil gritos tiene la noche
The Poughkeepsie Tapes
Prevenge
The Prowler
Pumpkinhead

qr

Ravenous / Les Affamés
Raw
Return of the Living Dead III
The Ritual
The Ruins

s

See No Evil
Shelley
Shrooms