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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833085 12/29/14 12:23 PM
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This...summer...there will be killing. The killing of joy. Quis goes to the movies in... Killjoy! smile



"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833098 12/29/14 02:52 PM
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Just when you thought it was safe to have fun...


Keep up with what I've been watching lately!

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833101 12/29/14 03:09 PM
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Didn't I make this clear that I didn't say this out loud? Besides
it turned out that the lawyer telling them that they had to keep the house was behind the "ghosts"


Big Dog! Big Dog! Bow Wow Wow!
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Quislet, Esq #833106 12/29/14 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Quislet, Esq
Didn't I make this clear that I didn't say this out loud?


And that would stop me teasing because.... smile

Originally Posted by Quislet, Esq
Besides
it turned out that the lawyer telling them that they had to keep the house was behind the "ghosts"


>tut< typical. Can't trust 'em. Any of 'em. Oh Hi Quis!


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833129 12/29/14 05:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Indian Lad
I've never cared for the Lord of the Rings films,


The first trilogy was decent but i have forgotten most of it myself.

Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833133 12/29/14 05:50 PM
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The Beyond
Our heroine inherits a Louisiana hotel from her uncle. Desperate to make it work, she begins to renovate it with the assistance of the two housekeeping staff that seem to have come with it. What she isn't aware of is the hotel's recent gory history and it's location on one of the gateways to hell.

This takes many of the themes of the standard Italian giallo, with more of a straight horror overlay.

We have the emphasis on the set piece and the style of the shot, sometimes over the logic of the plot leaving such films as uneven, jagged and purposefully flawed.
So, the cinematography ,location, and the score, and are all key elements of the film. to a degree you don't see too often elsewhere.

An example in The Beyond would be the hotel. It's part of the cast in a lesser, but still effective, way as the ballet school in Suspiria. It is where the majority of the film occurs and it's key elements of the rooms (think The Shining), the flooded basement (think The Evil Dead) and the excellent ending all play an important part.

The camera work is highlighted in sequences that you will also see all over later Raimi films, and elsewhere, and there's a lovely sepia flashback opening to the movie.

For me, the score is more problematic. I've not often been a fan of Italian horror scores. They seem to have been done on a shoestring budget and get in the way of the film. But getting in the way, is sometimes, what it's there to do, adding in noises and audio effects meant to chill, alarm or make an audience squirm (nails on canvas, spiders along floors etc.)

With all that attention on how the film looks and sounds, sometimes the plot can suffer. The premise is sound enough and the innovative gory pay offs are excellent. In fact, in the Beyond, they have that over the top quality that's enjoyed in so many other horror films.

But there is that disjointed quality to proceedings. Ironically, this can often be an added bonus as so often the main character questions their own sanity. The main character is often an outsider in gialli films, and this is no exception. We get a strong female lead (which are gems particularly back then). with a couple of classic lines, particularly regarding her life leading up to arriving at the hotel.

Where the plot seems to struggle, it can be saved by a strong leading couple and this, like Profondo Rosso, happens here with some brief, but vital, interaction between the pair.

Overall, it's a well worth viewing. Some of the scenes work better than others but that's to be expected when the film is working to a different beat than a standard plot driven movie.

But I'll scream if our lead keeps firing into the torsos of zombies when he knows that the shot to the head works...

The writer Dardano Sacchetti, would also be involved in the Demons films and the lead Catriona MacColl would appear in other Fulci works: The City of the Dead and The House by the Cemetery. No doubt these will be getting a look soon.

One last thing. I own two copies of this film. Not because it was so good or because it was so forgettable, I forgot I had it. But because all of these were part of a series of DVDs with black covers so it was hard to tell them apart.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833144 12/29/14 06:17 PM
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Good review, Thoth. It's pretty much on the same wavelength as my opinion of The Beyond.

Catriona MacColl is awesome in all three of her Lucio Fulci films.


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833147 12/29/14 06:40 PM
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City of the Dead up 9from the grave)next...

So, I can see elements of both Evil Dead (camera work, gore, obligatory Lovecraft prop) and Toxic Avenger (gore and gore) stemming form this one this one.

There's possibly a Watchmen analogy in there somewhere. wink

Likewise there's a bit of the early exploitation revenge movies (I spit on your grave) in Toxic Avenger too.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833615 01/01/15 11:32 PM
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I watched Fright Night for the first time tonight. It was pretty good and I love the nods to the Universal and Hammer Dracula movies. I also like the way they translated the concept of vampires to the modern era by making the evil vampire a sexual ladies man, making him a different level of creepiness.

Rating:4/5 stars

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Last edited by Indian Lad; 02/10/15 07:29 PM.

Keep up with what I've been watching lately!

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833654 01/02/15 03:01 PM
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Complete with the Roddy McDowell Stamp of Quality. It's not one I've seen more than once and that was a long time ago. Surprising really, as I don;t remember it being at all bad.

Possibly a combination of a lower rating that other horrors, the lighter touch, the nods to TV horror shows and Vincent Price that I wasn't following then and vampires being a bit hokey at the time - although Lost Boys and Near Dark perked them up slightly in the next couple of years.


Last edited by thothkins; 01/02/15 03:11 PM.

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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833669 01/02/15 05:16 PM
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I haven't seen Near Dark for about 20 years, but I remember really liking it.


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833847 01/04/15 05:33 PM
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The House by the Cemetery - 1981

As with The Beyond, we see familiar Gialli tropes here. A couple move to a house with a history in order for the husband to complete the research of his predecessor.

The could are outsiders to the area, as illustrated wonderfully by a snubbing from practically the only person they know there. The female lead suffers from a mental ailment that requires medication that she prefers not to take.

While the house has it's horrors, again underneath, it's gateway to another realm is nebulously connected throughout the film, coming into it's own in an ending that shows some Turn of the Screw roots.

Like the other films, the house becomes a central part of the plot. From the first scene that has enough gore to capture the audiences attention, through the sometimes haunting, sometimes gory middle to the nightmarish finale. It provides more than enough space for lots of eerie sounds, and frantic escapes.

The camera work is excellent throughout, adding to the tension the cast feel. The soundtrack is likewise heightened by muttering, laughing and unexplained noises that haunt the location. The rest of the score is much like the Beyond, but slightly less annoying probably because I'm now used to it.

Like the Beyond, we even have a protracted gory animal scene. This time it's a psychotic bat from the cellar that just will not die. Like the spider scene from The Beyond, it could have been a lot shorter.

The plot, although often secondary, is more a series of missed opportunities as much as disjointed. The opening gore scene is followed by a quick introduction to two pivotal, yet removed cast members, before a quick move to the central plot, leaving a sense of juddering into the movie.

The female leads' nervous issues are not really used throughout as events overtake the possibility of madness. There's no explanation regarding the recalcitrance of their babysitter, mentions of previous visits, or any continuation of a potential relationship between the babysitter and the male lead.

Most of all, it's just hard to fathom how the antagonist could have got away with their actions for so long. The blood and noise for a start, never mind the person's motivations and drives.

But, there's that focus on the scene over the logic. There are a couple of real shocks in the film, and a nice use of foreshadowing too. The ending is also well worth the wait, both in tension and in the final scene that makes an attempt to tie up some loose ends, but leaves plenty of questions.
The main plot has elements of the ghostly layered on top, and the questions leave a certain haunting, unfinished quality to the film.

I have a version with some teensy cuts still evident, but they do seem to be quite minor.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833853 01/04/15 05:58 PM
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Another good review that pretty much mirrors my own opinion of the film. Thanks, Thoth.


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833858 01/04/15 06:24 PM
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Cheers Fickles. I got side tracked away from City of the Dead, but it's up again soon.


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #833958 01/06/15 02:05 AM
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I re-watched the 1982 Swamp Thing movie again tonight. I actually liked it more this time around. I think it's because I've been watching a lot more B-movies lately and have come to appreciate some of the schlocky elements. In fact, as far as B-movies, it's actually a pretty solid movie and an underrated move in Wes Craven's career. The scenes of the swamp scenery are well shot and the setting really enhances the fantasy/horror elements of the character and story. Swamp Thing, in my opinion, was always at his most interesting when writers embraced his B-movie horror roots, which is why the Wein and Pasko runs are my favorite. This movie embraces this aspect of the character, giving a true to the source interpretation of the character.

Rating:4.5/5 stars
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Last edited by Indian Lad; 02/16/15 01:27 AM.

Keep up with what I've been watching lately!

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #834205 01/08/15 11:51 PM
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A lost relic of 1988 is the movie of choice tonight, Pumpkinhead. Special effects wizard Stan Winston worked on this movie and the influence his time working on Aliens had on him is highly evident here. The creature design of Pumpkinhead is very reminiscent of the xenomorphs from the Alien movies and the dark setting and strobe lights remind me of the dark corridors in Aliens. Lance Henriksen, who is also of Aliens fame, gives a top notch performance in this movie, playing a grieving father who makes tragic choices in the name of vengeance and anger. The final scene is simply perfect and really hits you in the gut.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

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Last edited by Indian Lad; 02/10/15 07:30 PM.

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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #834269 01/09/15 05:08 PM
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I saw Pumpkinhead on TV about 18 years ago. I remember enjoying it.


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #834275 01/09/15 05:20 PM
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I've seen this once a long time ago in a galaxy far far...no that's another thread. Anyway, like Fickles, I seem to remember it as not bad. One for me to check out again there. Thanks Indy.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838268 02/08/15 10:24 PM
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Last night's viewing was Clive Barker's Nightbreed. I know this movie has a huge cult following, but it just never clicked with me. The tone is all over the place, jumping from dark fantasy a la Pan's Labyrinth to Frankenstein esque monster persecution. This disjoined elements come together into something intriguing and endearing, but don't resonate with me as other B-movies from the same era do. One interesting theme of homosexuality is present throughout the movie and is probably one of the few horror movies to ever tackle the subject in such an original way.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

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Last edited by Indian Lad; 02/10/15 07:30 PM.

Keep up with what I've been watching lately!

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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838271 02/08/15 10:32 PM
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I don't entirely disagree with your assessment of Nightbreed, IL. It's a mess, but it's one of my favorite messy movies. It has a real vitality to it, and I really wish we could see Clive Barker's original cut, but that's probably not going to happen. And I do dislike the resurrection of the villain at the end, although IIRC it was a last-minute patch.


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838274 02/08/15 10:40 PM
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Clive Barker's director's cut is on Netflix, Fanfie! Check it out if you can. I have to say that I like the alternate ending more than the return of of Decker.


Keep up with what I've been watching lately!

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838275 02/08/15 10:42 PM
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It is?? OMG, thank you so much for telling me, IL. A dream come true!


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Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838276 02/08/15 10:46 PM
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You're welcome! smile


Keep up with what I've been watching lately!

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838348 02/09/15 02:16 PM
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I'll need to check that out too. Thanks Braja1

I agree with Fickles. It's a bit disjointed, and I'm not bothered about the lead. But there's occasional flashes of something lurking beneath its surface.

The strangeness of these beings who are so often hunted by man. The body horror and transformation with Cronenberg being quite creepy in it have stuck with me.


"...not having to believe in a thing to be interested in it and not having to explain a thing to appreciate the wonder of it."
Re: Indian Lad's Dungeon of Schlock
Kappa Kid #838500 02/10/15 08:16 AM
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I have a soft spot for Night Breed, partly because I'm a huge Cronenberg nut, but I also liked the mythological world building aspect of it. There were all sorts of secondary materials out at the time it was released that fleshed the world out more, and more. I also really liked Cabal, the book it is based on, which did a lot more with Baphomet.

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