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Post by AD on Sept 30, 2010 23:24:31 GMT -5
Alright, without further ado, here is the inaugural edition of The MV Zone’s brand new Monthly Movie Club! Challenge: Watch any horror movie released before you were born and review it by the end of the month.It’s October, so it makes sense to have horror movies as our first area of focus, right? Maybe a little obvious, but whatever. I know I always try to watch a few new horror films every October, and I assume I’m not the only one. Reviews should be posted right here in this thread, everybody is welcome to participate, and I look forward to reading what you all have to say over the next 31 days. Additional material that may help you choose a film.Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best reviewed horror movies of all timeRotten Tomatoes’ list of the best reviewed vampire movies of all time (apparently there haven‘t been many good ones) IMDB’s list of the best horror movies of all time (based on user ratings)Also, if anybody wants to issue next month’s challenge, just say so in this thread (first person to claim the right gets it) and then send me the challenge in a PM, and I‘ll handle it from there.
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Post by Her 69 Eyes on Oct 1, 2010 9:44:41 GMT -5
I'm definitely watching the following before the month's end (most of which are for school):
Daughters of Darkness (Harry Kümel, 1971) House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977) Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987) - 2nd Viewing Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) - 3rd Viewing Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932) - 2nd Viewing
Some of my personal recommendations:
Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955) Empire of Passion (Nagisa Oshimo, 1978) Hour of the Wolf (Ingmar Bergman, 1968) I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) Nosferatu the Vampyre (Werner Herzog, 1979)
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Post by Harry on Oct 1, 2010 9:52:25 GMT -5
I'll organize a list this week. I'm waiting till I pick up the Blu-Ray to watch House.
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Post by AD on Oct 1, 2010 15:32:09 GMT -5
Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932) - 2nd ViewingI'm definitely watching this... Hour of the Wolf (Ingmar Bergman, 1968) and I'm probably watching this... Nosferatu the Vampyre (Werner Herzog, 1979) and I definitely second the recommendation of this. It's one of the few movies to have ever legitimately given me a nightmare. Some of my own recommendations: Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973) Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960) Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975) The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961) Martin (George A. Romero, 1977)
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Post by Harry on Oct 2, 2010 20:46:54 GMT -5
All three are first viewings for me. I'm taking the first two as recommendations, and the third simply because I've somehow never seen it in it's entirety.
Martin (George A. Romero, 1977) Nosferatu the Vampyre (Werner Herzog, 1979) Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
Also consitering The Evil Dead, and it's sequel.
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Post by Atomsk on Oct 2, 2010 21:35:06 GMT -5
I'm really glad there isn't any signing up or anything. It takes A LOT of pressure off.
If I get around to it, the movies I'll probably review are:
The Shining (1980) Christine (1983) Near Dark (1987) Cujo (1983) Firestarter (1984)
Sorry, horror isn't really one of my favorite genres and I don't like pre-70 movies, so I'm really picky on what to watch, but I'd still like to participate and try. And yes, I realize most of it is Stephen King. They're the only ones I know of that I haven't watched yet ;-;
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Post by Harry on Oct 2, 2010 21:45:25 GMT -5
Some awesome choices, though. I rewatched Christine and The Shining a few months back.
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Post by Her 69 Eyes on Oct 2, 2010 23:02:27 GMT -5
Harry - House comes out on blu-ray on October 26th. I intend to rent it and report back before the month is over. You should do the same!
AD - Ah, Peeping Tom! I haven't seen it, but I very much like Michael Powell and I have been meaning to. I might get around to it before the end of the month. Picnic on Hanging Rock is also an interesting choice. I don't know if I really think of it as a horror film, although I guess psychologically there are some pretty horrific things that happen in the school itself (plus, you know, the whole disappearing thing).
I'd suggest that we leave this thread open until the second week of November or so while people report back on what they watched on or around Halloween. Last year I did a triple feature of Nosferatu, Vampyr, and Cat People. This year, as i'll likely dress up once again as "lonely oaf who hands out candy", i'm sure i'll do another marathon of sorts.
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Post by AD on Oct 3, 2010 0:57:38 GMT -5
I suppose it's hard to describe Picnic at Hanging Rock as a horror movie, but it's kinda hard to describe it as anything, really. I only watched it for the first time a few weeks ago, and all I can say is that it affected me like a great horror movie should affect somebody, only multiplied by ten. It's not really suspenseful in the Hitchcockian tradition, but very early on (right around the time when the three girls ventured off on their own) I began to get very nervous. I wasn't really sure what I was nervous about, but at various times during the course of the movie it felt almost as if I was having an anxiety attack. I suppose that's what a horror movie is supposed to do to you.
Also, Atomsk, if you like Stephen King you should consider watching The Dead Zone (1983), if you haven't seen it already. Way better than the tv show, and one of the better King adaptations out there.
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Post by RyanGoslingFan99 on Oct 3, 2010 2:14:45 GMT -5
AD, The Dead Zone is a fantastic movie. I saw it early this year and was really impressed by Walken. Also, has anyone seen the new package for Near Dark? Does anyone see any similarities to another vampire movie?
Ok. Here's my list that I'll try and get through.
1. House- Eli Roth shined about this movie a month before it came out, I don't know if that is going to make people not want to watch it now but the trailer looked great very Argento like.
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre- Just because, this is the earliest horror movie that I can remember watching and being truly scared.
3. Eraserhead
4. Fright Night
5. Suspiria
6. Nightmare on Elm Street
7.Eyes Without a Face
8. The Thing
If I can think of any more I'll post em up.
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Post by Harry on Oct 3, 2010 5:18:40 GMT -5
Harry - House comes out on blu-ray on October 26th. I intend to rent it and report back before the month is over. You should do the same! I'm actually hoping that House follows suit with Yojimbo, Seventh Seal, Gimme Shelter, and Seven Samirai, and ends up on Netflix Instant View days after it's release.
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Post by Her 69 Eyes on Oct 3, 2010 14:43:03 GMT -5
Here's a good resource to finding applicable movies playing on TCM over the next month.There's a ton to choose from. I would highly recommend the following: Oct. 24th - Nosferatu (F.W. Murnau, 1922). 89 min. 12:00 AM EST.The first adaptation of Dracula, and the source of much of the current vampire mythology. Vampires weren't killed in sunlight prior to this film. Oct. 24th - Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932). 72 min. 2:00 AM EST.Indescribable. Totally surreal. Has a startling, disturbing atmosphere that you won't be able to shake. Oct. 29th - White Zombie (Victor Halperin, 1932). 67 min. 3:30 PM EST.It's silly and dated, but still highly entertaining. Boris Karloff in one of his few non-vampire roles. The first zombie film ever made. Oct. 29th - I Walked With a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943). 69 min. 4:45 PM EST.Perhaps not horrific in the way that the other films in the list are, but it's exemplary of what made Val Lewton great and what he meant to horror in the 1940s. He brought prestige to the horror genre, making art films that just so happened to use these sorts of campy titles. Oct. 30th - Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942). 73 min. 2:00 AM EST.There's one or two sequences that are among my favorite moments in the horror genre. Like I Walked With a Zombie it's much more psychological than visceral, but this one is definitely more tense. It's also interesting to watch for it's sexuality and the implied repressed lesbianism. They're also showing the 1939 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame on the 30th. I wouldn't consider it a horror film, but I would say it's among my favorite films ever made. To me, Charles Laughton performance is in the top five of all time.
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Post by HY2J on Oct 3, 2010 15:42:30 GMT -5
Sounds like an interesting challenge considering I'm not much for horror myself but I'll probably watch either House or Martyrs. Also, I'd like to issue next month's challenge if that is still available.
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Post by AD on Oct 3, 2010 16:41:36 GMT -5
Also, I'd like to issue next month's challenge if that is still available. It most certainly is. Just send it to me in a PM before the month is over, and I'll handle it from there.
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Post by Harry on Oct 4, 2010 15:33:58 GMT -5
Well, I just finished "Martin". I went into it not knowing what to expect, so I can't say it wasn't what I expected. The idea of a vampire film with a sympathetic antihero is nothing new, but it's always great to see how it's spun. I thought John Amplas was great in his role, with his ability to seem innocent (even while committing gruesome acts of mutilation and murder). The final scene supplied a healthy dose of poetic justice, albeit sourly. Overall, I enjoyed the film, and I too would recommend it.
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