What Was The Last Movie/Anime You Watched?

[Cartagia]

Black Friday - Sure, it has uber-stereotypical characters, but it's got ok laughs, fun effects, a couple of actual themes, and knockout ending.

Don't Look Now - Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie are terrific, and there are some really great and effective moments, but it takes way too long to really gear up.  Maybe it's just because I knew too much about it going in, but it felt a bit on the nose to me.

Bulbbul - A classic Gothic tale infused with Indian culture and heritage along with a gorgeous color pallette. Not afraid to get really dark,but I wish it leaned more into the paranormal rather than the inter-family drama.

When Evil Lurks - Weirdly reminded me of John Wick, in that it is this genre that you know, but the in context world building is new and completely different. Wildly brutal in places it is also very patient and uses it very judiciously. Demián Rugna is the real deal.

Milk & Serial - One of the most impressive micro budget productions I've ever seen.  Only one or two shaky performances, which is what usually plagues these.  It does just kind of end, which was disappointing, but execution up until them is pretty solid.

[zadaket]

I never understood people who watch anime, but yesterday I decided to watch the anime “Naruto” and I was shocked. I liked it so much that now I can't take my eyes off it and I watch Naruto every day without stopping. I don't know how I didn't watch it before, because it's really interesting and now I understand why. I think I'm a new fan of Naruto and all the characters that are in it. 

[Cartagia]

Tenebrae - I really wish I connected with Argento's movies beyond more than vibes, but this is the one where the vibes have hit me the hardest.

The Wind - Sure, everyone has iPad face and the production design doesn't feel mega-authentic, but for the budget i think its solid.  It's moody, the performances are good, and it genuinely surprised me with the ending.

The Dark and the Wicked - Intensely atmospheric, filled with gloom and dread.  Expertly ratchets up the tension to an incredible peak, but unfortunately never manages to have any scares worthy of that much tension.  Tremendous performance from Marin Ireland here as well.

The Deliverance - An attempt to make a prestige or elevated horror film by someone who had no clue how to make an actual horror film.  The domestic drama stuff is actually kinda decent, but... damn does basically none of the horror stuff land.

Razorback - Basically half creature feature half straight up ozploitation.  There's loads of style on display, and the cinematography is killer.  It's a a tad clunky and the lead is pretty bland, but I liked it a fair bit more than I expected.

[bikingjahuty]

Growing up, my introduction to a lot of beloved movie series started with me watching one of the sequels rather than the first movie in the series. Aliens, Back to the Future 3, and Indiana Jones and the Last Cruisade are just a few examples, but one other was Ghostbusters 2. I LOVED GB2 growing up and used to watch it, rewind it, and then watch it immediately again. I've probably seen Ghostbusters 2 10x more than I have the first movie which is generally considered the superior film. I don't remember when I watched the first GB movie, but it was at least a few years after I'd seen GB2 a dozen times at least. I rewatched GB2 this evening and I think I still prefer it to GB1. A lot of that is sentimental reasons, but some of it is I just find the plot and villain cooler. I also think it's funnier. Anyways, love GB2 and glad I got around to rewatching it leading up to Halloween.

[Cartagia]

The Slumber Party Massacre - I wish I saw what other horror hounds see in it.  It's got a couple of alright jokes and the drill is cool I guess, but it's not funny enough to be a full blown horror comedy, and the kills are all nothing to write home about.  Barely an above average slasher for me.

[bizzgeburt]

Fist of the Northstar (80's Original) 

Love this anime since I first saw it in italian kids tv back in the 90's ...

[Cartagia]

Galaxy of Terror - Made way more an impression on me this time around.  It should be no surprise that young James Cameron's production design is the highlight, but there are also a couple of really brutal kills and the atmosphere is nicely oppresive.

A Bay of Blood - It's apparent pretty quickly just how wildly influential this film is.  More thoughtful than its imitators but with a messier plot than most, with about one too many layers of twists and complications.  Wouldn't touch that final twist, though.

Spontaneous Combustion - Brad Dourif is a sweating screaming pyrokinetic.  Very, very fun.

Excision - One of the more unnerving films I've seen in some time.  I wish the dialogue were a bit sharper and some of the performances a bit better (and some of the editong / staging cleaner), but conceptually this a big hit for me.

Children of the Corn - The Lovecraftian cult stuff carries this movie on its back, especially the power struggle between Malachi and Isaac.  The two "good" kids are awful, though, and the hero couple is really bland.

Forrest Gump - This was the viewing where I really started to see the cracks, especially just how steep the divide is between the whimsy set against some pretty severe historical events, emotionally and politically. The whimsy still wins out for me, though.

The Burrowers - Great concept, but not nearly enough of a budget to do it justice.  A couple of million more and killer prop master could have really made this sing.

[marvelvscapcom2]

My SPOOKtober 2024 Season


Scream 1996 - What a brilliant tongue in cheek horror flick. Complete with stellar performances. Neve Campbell is well for lack of a better phrase, perfection.  She really doesn't trope it up but kinda gives the stereotypical female victim vixen Killer bait role a complete 360. Just slaps it in the mouth and is easily the biggest boss on screen. You come for gore and ghostface. You stay because of the girl led cast of stellar acting.  Its honestly one of the rare times in horror movies I believe what is happening.  It has its hiccups but Syndeys reactions to ghostface are simply authentic feeling. From a place of pre plotting and wit. Not just damzel nonsense. I was seriously surprised. 

Theirs a long backstory of why this movie was a big step for me. As a child I was attacked by an adult in a ghostface costume in my bed at night, and suffocated until the grips relented. Kinda stalked in the dead of night. It was most likely a nightmare. But to kid me. It was real. Still feels too real. I almost died. And ever since I have been deathly afraid of the character.


SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS


SPOILERS

The movie helped alleviate that. Now that I know scream is really just a whiney high school dork that honestly got uppercutted by drew berrymore and fell to the ground. He's easily the least intimidating villain of the big 6. But nightmare scream is a whole different entity.

Overall 95/100.  Its slasher gold.

[Cartagia]

Shaitaan - It's a decent concept and the villain performance is OK enough, but it is way, way too long and fails at building any real tension throughout.  Could've earned a few more points with me if it went with a Storm of the Century ending.

Village of the Damned - Not nearly as bad as it's reputation.  In fact the first half is really damn good.  It does get real messy and rushed in the last act, and the kids aren't super great performers, but the vibe worked for me.

[marvelvscapcom2]

Scream 2 - Better more juicy plot twist than 1. But worse pacing and character developnent. So its a toss up. Ending or substance? Gonna say 1 is slightly better. 94/100

[Cartagia]

The Town That Dreaded Sundown - Really like the faux documentary style, and the chase and killing setpieces are all really solid.  The dumbass goofy deputy plotline really drags the whole thing down.

The Brides of Dracula - I really liked the first act, but then it was pretty boring up until the last 10-15 minutes or so.  I do just adore the way Hammer flicks look, though.

Cursed - Not Craven's worst by a long shot.  It's super messy, but at least it is fun.  Judy Greer is having a blast.

[Cartagia]

Movies I watched in da airplane!

Fright Night - Really like this remake.  Colin Farrell is eating scenery and David Tenant is also having a ball (but he's not in it enough).  Rest of the cast is fun, too.

Top Gun: Maverick - Really wild just how much better than the original this is.

Young Woman and the Sea - It's a Horse Girl movie about swimming.  Light feel-good fare Disney used to do way more of.

The Martian - Comfort film and one if Ridley Scott's best.

Psycho - I've got two qualms with it; first is the obvious one, the overexplanation at the end, and second is that the movie cheats with the voice it uses for Mrs. Bates.

But otherwise, yeah, it's a masterpiece. Perkins is phenomenal, but what really got me this time was that I think the first 20 minutes of the movie, even before you get to Bates, might be the best part.

Psycho II - Way better than it really has any right to be. Hitchcock obviously wasn't involved, but Jerry Goldsmith, Dean Cundey, and Tom Holland are some pretty serious pedigree on their own. Don't love the final revelation, but the story is such a fascinating follow-up to the original.

Psycho III - Sleazy noir melodrama that borders on exploitation in places.  Far more in line with what I expected Psycho II to be.

[harlock]

Cago Lake, strongly recommend it.

[Cartagia]

Psycho IV: The Beginning - It definitely looks like a basic cable movie made by Mich Garris in 1990.  The framing device sucks, and I don't think Henry Thomas is particularly good in it, but Olivia Hussey is legitimately great, and makes you completely understand why Norman killed his mom.  Last act is, terrible, too.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Looks great, legitimately funny, killer voice performances.  Still can't believe how good this is.

[cygnusjaklynn]

Anime:
One Piece
Zom100
Delicious in Dungeon

Movie:
Transformers One (cinema)
Beeltejuice Beetlejuice (cinema)
Godzilla Minus One
Van Helsing
The Ritual
The Thing 1982