Horror Movies Thread
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- Dec 29, 2022
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I finally got around to watching Longlegs.
First off - the mood and dread that this movie built is nearly unmatched. This is one of the most uncomfortable movies I have ever seen, bar none. Nicolas Cage was great - but I found the makeup for Longlegs to not quite live up to the marketing hype. Maika Monroe was also fantastic.
Unfortunately, it fell apart for me a bit in the 3rd act. The reveal of what is actually happening is a little rocky and convoluted for me.
Still though - solid 8/10 for me. Really want to see more stuff like it!
First off - the mood and dread that this movie built is nearly unmatched. This is one of the most uncomfortable movies I have ever seen, bar none. Nicolas Cage was great - but I found the makeup for Longlegs to not quite live up to the marketing hype. Maika Monroe was also fantastic.
Unfortunately, it fell apart for me a bit in the 3rd act. The reveal of what is actually happening is a little rocky and convoluted for me.
Still though - solid 8/10 for me. Really want to see more stuff like it!
I agree with everything above. I still feel his earlier film, The Blackcoat's Daughter, is better.
Recently saw Tourist Trap for the first time and re-watched House of Wax (2005) for the first time since 2005/2006.
House of Wax holds up exceptionally well in my opinion. All the horror hits its mark. The Town of wax and House of Wax are the true stars of the movie. They are creepy, scary, disturbing creations. Elisha Cuthbert (Carly) and Chad Michael Murray (Nick) make for great heroes who are easy to root for. They have believable chemistry and are easy to buy as siblings. Their friends don't fare so well, though Jared Padalecki has a very disturbing extended scene. Also, Paris Hilton isn't as terrible as you might expect. Brian Van Holt (Bo) and Sam Harkess (Vincent) are effective monsters with decent backstories, although the partially CGI face reveal of Vincent in the 3rd act does leave much to be desired.
The screenplay isn’t the strongest as there is A LOT of expository dialogue early on (though I do really dig the themes involving twins/siblings). Everything after the 21 minute mark kicks ass, though. The film itself does share similarities to 1979's Tourist Trap (Both are set in tourist traps that feature life-like, creepy figures), though it would be unfair to call House of Wax a remake of that movie. In the end, House of Wax is easily one of the best horror films of the early-mid aughts. 4 STARS
As for Tourist Trap, I had avoided this film due to its PG rating. In reality, it's more of a PG-13 by today's standards. It's a wild, weird, whacked, and creepy horror film. Imagine a mixture of Psycho, House of Wax (with mannequins), and Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Chuck Connors is the true star of the film as the certifiable Mr. Slauson, proprietor of a tacky and cheap mannequin-centric roadside tourist trap. He resembles a third-rate Norman Bates/Leatherface (but with telekinesis…yes, really). His outfits and masks are memorable and visually striking. His collection of mannequins are effectively creepy. With a bonkers finale, and plenty of wild weirdness, Tourist Trap is a pretty good B horror film that is very entertaining and very silly. 3.5 STARS
I will be seeing Trap later tonight, so you can expect my thoughts on it sometime tomorrow.
House of Wax holds up exceptionally well in my opinion. All the horror hits its mark. The Town of wax and House of Wax are the true stars of the movie. They are creepy, scary, disturbing creations. Elisha Cuthbert (Carly) and Chad Michael Murray (Nick) make for great heroes who are easy to root for. They have believable chemistry and are easy to buy as siblings. Their friends don't fare so well, though Jared Padalecki has a very disturbing extended scene. Also, Paris Hilton isn't as terrible as you might expect. Brian Van Holt (Bo) and Sam Harkess (Vincent) are effective monsters with decent backstories, although the partially CGI face reveal of Vincent in the 3rd act does leave much to be desired.
The screenplay isn’t the strongest as there is A LOT of expository dialogue early on (though I do really dig the themes involving twins/siblings). Everything after the 21 minute mark kicks ass, though. The film itself does share similarities to 1979's Tourist Trap (Both are set in tourist traps that feature life-like, creepy figures), though it would be unfair to call House of Wax a remake of that movie. In the end, House of Wax is easily one of the best horror films of the early-mid aughts. 4 STARS
As for Tourist Trap, I had avoided this film due to its PG rating. In reality, it's more of a PG-13 by today's standards. It's a wild, weird, whacked, and creepy horror film. Imagine a mixture of Psycho, House of Wax (with mannequins), and Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Chuck Connors is the true star of the film as the certifiable Mr. Slauson, proprietor of a tacky and cheap mannequin-centric roadside tourist trap. He resembles a third-rate Norman Bates/Leatherface (but with telekinesis…yes, really). His outfits and masks are memorable and visually striking. His collection of mannequins are effectively creepy. With a bonkers finale, and plenty of wild weirdness, Tourist Trap is a pretty good B horror film that is very entertaining and very silly. 3.5 STARS
I will be seeing Trap later tonight, so you can expect my thoughts on it sometime tomorrow.
A simple, tight, mostly straightforward thriller (Don’t expect any twists). Josh Hartnett easily carries the proceedings and is the focus for about 90-95% of the film. His Connor/The Butcher is the most likable sociopath since Dan Steven’s David in The Guest. Hartnett does a superb acting job, and makes Shyamalan’s occasionally silly dialogue sound authentic and natural. It doesn’t hurt that Hartnett has some serious DILF vibes throughout. He also has believable and sweet chemistry with Ariel Donoghue, who plays his daughter Riley (she’s adorable). Simply put: He’s phenomenal.
Shyamalan manages to perfectly capture the atmosphere of a live concert. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is in charge of cinematography. He recently shot Challengers. He doesn’t do anything special or innovative here (the cinematography doesn’t really stand-out), but Trap is always visually appealing. The first 2/3rds of the third act has another character take center stage, and it’s here where Trap really starts to flounder. Luckily, the last 10-15 minutes manages to end the flick on a pretty satisfying note.
Allison Pill has a small role, but makes her screen-time count. Hayley Mills is memorable as Dr. Grant, the FBI profiler leading the manhunt. She’s great, but is fairly under-cooked. It feels like she should have been a bigger character. Jonathan Langdon is very likable in a supporting role as Jamie, a concert worker who befriends Cooper. Kid Cudi also has a cameo as The Thinker, another artist who performs with Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) and has a big ego. He is a real jerk, but Cudi leaves an impression (and is almost unrecognizable). As for Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven, well...she can certainly sing...her acting, though, leaves much to be desired. It doesn't help that Lady Raven is given no backstory or reason to be invested in the manhunt. We are also given no reason to care about her safety, either.
Trap isn’t particularly great. It’s definitely a Shyamalan movie. That said, it’s still mostly solid and is a decent amount of fun. See it for Josh Hartnett, who is having a bit of a renaissance right now.
3 STARS
Shyamalan manages to perfectly capture the atmosphere of a live concert. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom is in charge of cinematography. He recently shot Challengers. He doesn’t do anything special or innovative here (the cinematography doesn’t really stand-out), but Trap is always visually appealing. The first 2/3rds of the third act has another character take center stage, and it’s here where Trap really starts to flounder. Luckily, the last 10-15 minutes manages to end the flick on a pretty satisfying note.
Allison Pill has a small role, but makes her screen-time count. Hayley Mills is memorable as Dr. Grant, the FBI profiler leading the manhunt. She’s great, but is fairly under-cooked. It feels like she should have been a bigger character. Jonathan Langdon is very likable in a supporting role as Jamie, a concert worker who befriends Cooper. Kid Cudi also has a cameo as The Thinker, another artist who performs with Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) and has a big ego. He is a real jerk, but Cudi leaves an impression (and is almost unrecognizable). As for Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven, well...she can certainly sing...her acting, though, leaves much to be desired. It doesn't help that Lady Raven is given no backstory or reason to be invested in the manhunt. We are also given no reason to care about her safety, either.
Trap isn’t particularly great. It’s definitely a Shyamalan movie. That said, it’s still mostly solid and is a decent amount of fun. See it for Josh Hartnett, who is having a bit of a renaissance right now.
3 STARS
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- Mar 6, 2020
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- Jul 24, 2018
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Not a movie, but I couldn't find a thread for this.
HBO put out a trailer for all the original stuff coming to Max in 2024-2025, and we got a 6 second clip for Welcome to Derry. So it's happening!
HBO put out a trailer for all the original stuff coming to Max in 2024-2025, and we got a 6 second clip for Welcome to Derry. So it's happening!
Guess who's seeing Cuckoo tonight?!
I have a theory regarding the film:
UPDATE: Saw Cuckoo last night. I won't say if my theory was proven right or not, but I will say that Cuckoo is absolutely one of those films that works best if you walk in knowing as little about it as possible, and let it take you on its weird, bonkers roller-coaster ride.
Cuckoo is written and directed by Tilman Singer. This is his sophomore effort (He previously directed and wrote 2018’s Luz). The storytelling is a little muddied/messy, and not everything is fully explained by the end (or maybe it’s the answers aren’t explained well. I can’t decide which it is). All that said, Tilman is an innovative director. The screenplay is pretty solid despite continual foreshadowing involving the meaning of the title. The foreshadowing hits so hard it hurts and quickly grows annoying.
Hunter Schaffer is fantastic as Gretchen, our lead. Gretchen starts out as a bit of a stock cliche: The disaffected, snarky, cynical, angsty teen. As the film moves onwards, she grows a bit of depth and is given some great pathos involving her backstory that only helps to endear us to her. Her weapon of choice (a switchblade not unlike the one Dan Stevens used as David in The Guest) is pretty memorable. You definitely want to see Gretchen come out on top by the end.
Dan Steven’s shines bright as Herr König. He puts on a convincing, stilted German accent. He is perfectly awkward and off-putting in the role, and always keeps us on our toes as to the true nature of his character. This is easily his best role and performance since The Guest. Dan Stevens is back, baby!!!
Kalin Morrow is disturbing, horrifying, and grotesque as “The Hooded Woman”. Her costume, make-up, and prosthetics are very memorable and scary (as are the sounds/cries she makes). She makes for a great, memorable antagonist. Jan Bluthardt is also pretty great and memorable as Henry. The film has some fun with his character as he could be a force for good or bad during the proceedings. Mika Lieu impresses as well as Alma, Gretchen’s mute step-sister. Cuckoo slowly builds up her character, but she proves to be a very sweet and kind girl. Her relationship with Gretchen is one of the strongest parts of the film.
Surprisingly, despite Cuckoo definitely being a very weird horror film, it has a strong, emotional core. It also deals heavily with themes of motherhood. Most of the film moves fairly slowly as it builds its mystery (but never so slowly that it could be considered a slow-burn. It’s not). The third act is where Cuckoo hits its stride as stuff hits the fan in a highly entertaining and tense/suspenseful way (the film practically explodes during the entirety of the third act).
Cuckoo is this year’s Barbarian (another film that dealt heavily with themes of motherhood). While it is not without its flaws, Cuckoo is still easily the most original horror film we’ve gotten in quite some time. It’s disturbing. It’s touching. It’s sweet. It can be unpredictable. It’s also 125,000 percent wild, insane, and bat-poop bonkers. With a heavy emphasis on uniqueness and originality, Cuckoo is another of the best horror movies of 2024. It matches to the best of its own weird drum, and we are all the better for it.
4.5 STARS
I have a theory regarding the film:
I have a feeling the "monster" in the film is a kind of Cuckoo, in that it's learned mimicry and infiltration tactics in order to survive and thrive.
UPDATE: Saw Cuckoo last night. I won't say if my theory was proven right or not, but I will say that Cuckoo is absolutely one of those films that works best if you walk in knowing as little about it as possible, and let it take you on its weird, bonkers roller-coaster ride.
Cuckoo is written and directed by Tilman Singer. This is his sophomore effort (He previously directed and wrote 2018’s Luz). The storytelling is a little muddied/messy, and not everything is fully explained by the end (or maybe it’s the answers aren’t explained well. I can’t decide which it is). All that said, Tilman is an innovative director. The screenplay is pretty solid despite continual foreshadowing involving the meaning of the title. The foreshadowing hits so hard it hurts and quickly grows annoying.
Hunter Schaffer is fantastic as Gretchen, our lead. Gretchen starts out as a bit of a stock cliche: The disaffected, snarky, cynical, angsty teen. As the film moves onwards, she grows a bit of depth and is given some great pathos involving her backstory that only helps to endear us to her. Her weapon of choice (a switchblade not unlike the one Dan Stevens used as David in The Guest) is pretty memorable. You definitely want to see Gretchen come out on top by the end.
Dan Steven’s shines bright as Herr König. He puts on a convincing, stilted German accent. He is perfectly awkward and off-putting in the role, and always keeps us on our toes as to the true nature of his character. This is easily his best role and performance since The Guest. Dan Stevens is back, baby!!!
Kalin Morrow is disturbing, horrifying, and grotesque as “The Hooded Woman”. Her costume, make-up, and prosthetics are very memorable and scary (as are the sounds/cries she makes). She makes for a great, memorable antagonist. Jan Bluthardt is also pretty great and memorable as Henry. The film has some fun with his character as he could be a force for good or bad during the proceedings. Mika Lieu impresses as well as Alma, Gretchen’s mute step-sister. Cuckoo slowly builds up her character, but she proves to be a very sweet and kind girl. Her relationship with Gretchen is one of the strongest parts of the film.
Surprisingly, despite Cuckoo definitely being a very weird horror film, it has a strong, emotional core. It also deals heavily with themes of motherhood. Most of the film moves fairly slowly as it builds its mystery (but never so slowly that it could be considered a slow-burn. It’s not). The third act is where Cuckoo hits its stride as stuff hits the fan in a highly entertaining and tense/suspenseful way (the film practically explodes during the entirety of the third act).
Cuckoo is this year’s Barbarian (another film that dealt heavily with themes of motherhood). While it is not without its flaws, Cuckoo is still easily the most original horror film we’ve gotten in quite some time. It’s disturbing. It’s touching. It’s sweet. It can be unpredictable. It’s also 125,000 percent wild, insane, and bat-poop bonkers. With a heavy emphasis on uniqueness and originality, Cuckoo is another of the best horror movies of 2024. It matches to the best of its own weird drum, and we are all the better for it.
4.5 STARS
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- Feb 23, 2023
- 2,057
- 7,120
I watched “I Saw the TV Glow” this afternoon. It’s undoubtedly successful at what it’s trying to do, and the look and sound is excellent. But ultimately it felt like a series of scenes rather than a cohesive movie, and I found some of its (intentional!) choices irritating.
Glad it exists and the world is better with more weird art, but this didn’t land with me.
Also! Shout to Keansburg Amusement Park for its brief on screen appearance.
Glad it exists and the world is better with more weird art, but this didn’t land with me.
Also! Shout to Keansburg Amusement Park for its brief on screen appearance.
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