A couple movies see wide release this week.
2. The Counselor promise to be an intense thriller from Ridley Scott who brought you such classics as *yawn* and *zzzzzz*. I'm not much of a Ridley Scott fan if you hadn't guessed that. I tend to think that most of his films are like driving a long straight road after working a 14 hour day at a steel mill. That is I assume that would make one sleepy. I haven't actually worked at a steel mill. I suppose I should have chosen a better example... Point is, I find his works dull. Yes there are a couple exceptions, but not many. Maybe if he'd actually directed that Monopoly movie...
1. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is also not really my cup of tea. I like Johnny Knoxville as an actor. I think he can add an interesting dynamic. But I've never cared for Jackass. A little too gross for my tastes. Pretty much you always know what you're getting with a Jackass film.
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10 Suggestions For Halloween Movie Fests
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Today I want to offer some picks of mine for the season, for anyone trying to decide on a good horror film.
10. Make-Out With Violence
Off beat indie zombie film whose horror comes more from the slow burn breakdown of the characters, rather than the one zombie in the movie.
9. Them!
Possibly my favorite giant insect movie, it features giant ants in New Mexico. What I like is that they don't stay local to NM, but take flight when attacked. I've always thought this could be turned into a great military TV show, battling the ants in different states, trying to keep their population down.
8. Burke and Hare
Not the original, but the remake. Too easy to suggest Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, this Simon Pegg vehicle is a black comedy loosely based on real murders from well over 150 years ago. It's fantastically cast and very funny (though given the nature of the film punctuated by some gross moments).
7. Cemetery Man (Dellamorte Dellamore)
Trippy, cult-classic, Italian style. The film features Rupert Everett as a cemetery caretaker who tries to protect the town from the undead as they rise up. A very simplistic description for what is an absolutely bizarre (though enjoyable) film.
6. My Boyfriend's Back
I've made no attempts to hide my love for this 90's zombie comedy. Endlessly quotable, ridiculous, and with a great supporting cast, what's not to like?
5. Triangle
A very odd kind of horror film, that was not what I was expecting the first time I saw it. Dealing with time loops in a sort of a way that fashions a very personal hell for Melissa George's character.
4. The People Under The Stairs
Got to have a Wes Craven film on the list. Tonally the film builds nicely through the first half creating an eerie story, before turning somewhat goofy the second half. Nevertheless one of my favorite Craven films.
3. Pan's Labyrinth
More dark fantasy than strictly horror, the general look and feel though is Halloween brought to life. If there's one thing Guillermo del Toro knows, it's how to bring monsters to life.
2. April Fools Day
If a more standard horror film should be included, I prefer one with a terrific ending. Always one of my favorites.
1. The Blob
One movie will always appear on my list every year and it's The Blob. On occasion I'll watch the sequel or even the Frank Darabont remake, but none match my favorite B-movie of all time. Plus it has the best theme song ever.
So what's on your schedule for the weekend?
Them scared a lot of us when we were young.
ReplyDeleteNot interested in the Ridley Scott film either. It wasn't released for early reviews, which is always a bad sign...
I worked at a steel mill when I first got married, Yeah hard boring work could explain it, and some of Ridley Scott's work. I love your list, and that you have Simon Pegg on it.
ReplyDeleteIf you neve get tired of crotch jokes then Jackass is your movie. Not my type of movie, but they're popular. A great list of horror movies Tim. This goes into the discussion from last week: Is Pan's Labyrinth a horror movie? It's more fantasy to me.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I describe it on the list. It's more of a dark fantasy, but the overall tone combined with the monsters del Toro creates just feel like Halloween.
ReplyDeleteKnowing you only through blogging and google + with the Tom Baker avatar, I'm just picturing Baker in the steel mill, and the imagery is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteHA! tooo funny!
ReplyDeleteHe's the Master of creature design.
ReplyDeleteYour list of Halloween movies (like you, the release ones don't really do anything for me) has two or three movies I want to see.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Burke and Hare so I will have to look for that. I didn't expect My Boyfriend's Back I am intrigued ...
I don' know if Pan's Labyrinth fits into any category. It was weird and pretty good. I'm totally dating myself here, but I saw The Blob when it first came out. It was part of a double feature with The Fly (I think).
ReplyDelete