George's comments (member since May 02, 2008)

George's comments from the (good) Horror Films group.

Ah, what news! I will keep a space on my shelf waiting for the day.

Well, I'll throw 2 names into the hat, one of which has already been mentioned, The Exorcist. I saw it when it first came out and I don't think I've ever been more viscerally affected by any film. I went to a late night showing with a girl friend who was comepletely unable to sleep for the next 12 hours or so. and you definitely don't have to be Catholic to appreciate it. I went to Morocco a bit later on when the Exorcist played there and people literally ran out of the theater screaming at some showings. Belief in demonic possession isn't the sole property of Roman Catholics.

I would also put in a good word for Psycho. the first time I saw it was at a college theater showing along with 200 or so other students, and believe me, you could cut the collective fear in that room with a knife. It made a huge difference seeing the film with a sizeable audience.

Actually, I think some of the reactions here on what is or isn't scary have more to do with whether or not people were seeing it at home on dvd or in an actual theater on a large screen, as the two experiences aren't remotely similar and real panic and fear are contagious.

In my personal experience, the most horrifying film I've seen, as opposed to the scariest would be the original Dawn of the Dead. I accidently saw it at a multi screen movie theater as I was coming out from a different film and I heard the audience screaming from behind the closed doors, louder than the soundtrack. No one was watching so I went inside to see what it was all about and just stood there transfixed with my mouth open for about 15 minutes or so, watching zombies pull people apart. after a while, when I regained some semblance of rational thought and realized no one had come to throw me out, I sat down and watched the rest of the film.

I do indeed.

Well, James Arness was no Cary Grant, but I've never heard anyone refer to him as fantastically disgusting.

I saw Zombieland this week as well. Lots of fun, and one of the best best surprise appearances by an actor in a horror film in a long time. the rest of the audience certainly enjoyed it as well when I saw it.

Deluded, perhaps. but, nuts is a bit extreme.

Did you prefer Steven King's remake. He never liked the movie either. personally, I really like this one and there are few King movies I've liked. none of the recent ones.

didn't make me want to take a bath though.

Just finished watching, At Midnight, I'll take your Soul. Not quite sure how I feel about it. It was a very low budget film, and according to the director's interview in the addtional material, he put himself in the film as he couldn't find an actor that wanted to do it or would take it seriously. By the way, you'll see the thumbnails of the protagonist Ze in the film were not something that had to be added on by costuming and make up. those are really his. He had very limited film stock to use and someone stole 2 reels while in production, so a lot of it was shot in one take. When you're watching it, it's very easy to believe. Some of the Netflix reviews refer to him as the Ed Woods of Brazil, and again, you can believe that, except that the film was a box office smash in Brazil and elsewhere. He said some 50,000 people came to see it at one theatre alone over a week. It was taken seriously on various levels including the main character's militant atheism and was censored by the government, although watching it today,it's hard to believe.

There's certainly no shortage of wild overacting, bad lighting, horrible makeup and peculiar cheap special effects. He created a most peculiar "ghost" special effect by putting glitter on the film stock around the image of the actor. When I heard the director explain it, I thought wow, that's exactly what it looked like.

The opening of the film as a very Tales of the Crypt kind of atmosphere, where a gypsy woman warns the audience they'd really, really be much better off if they left now before the story begins, and then cackles that oops, it's too late now. But for all the campiness, it does have a most peculiar energy to it. I kept thinking I'd seen enough but kept watching through the end. If you do pick this up, be sure to watch the interview and the trailers to several of his other films. the trailers are truely whack,especially the last one that largely takes place in a most second rate Hell.

but if you had become an evolutionary throwback, do you think you'd be capable of recognizing it?

haven't heard of him before, but Netflix has several, including this one which I've cued up. they also have a film biography of him as noted here:

Coffin Joe: The Strange World of Jose Mojica Marin
(2001) NR
This intriguing documentary chronicles the life and career of Brazilian horror filmmaker José Mojica Marins, who helmed more than 40 movies (many banned or censored) and created the diabolical character Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe), an icon of horror flicks. From the self-taught avant-garde director's impoverished boyhood to his enormous international success, his story is told via interviews with Marins and his closest colleagues.

Genre:Biographical Documentaries, Foreign Documentaries

Looks like Coffin Joe is now residing at home.

enthusiasm to be sure. a certain barely constrained crazed energy, leaving the impression that this is perhaps a vision of horror that he'd be willing to inhabit, if indeed he doesn't already. I think perhaps it's just a matter of finding the right demon to sign the contract with.

Yeah, I kinda agree with Rob on the blank cassette. Didn't you ever see The Ring?

got me through the evening anyway.

finally saw Drag Me to Hell yesterday. I thought it was quite a hoot, definitely enjoyed it as did everyone else in the theatre judging by the screams and shouts. SPOILER ALERT I still can't believe she didn't give that bank weasel the button. I thought for sure watching him being dismembered was going to be the big payoff.

well,Mighty Mouse mostly went around in tights. very form fitting.

or it was just toying with its food, like a cat with a mouse. unfortunately for the alien, it turned out to be Mighty Mouse.

perhaps it just thought Ripley looked particularly tasty and was just savoring its dinner.

Well, is Ripley in her undies gratuitous or an effort to make her as completely vulnerable as possible? Is a naked Arnold in Terminator gratuitous, or not? I think, not. As for the Descent, perhaps the rear end views are a bit exploitative even if clothed, although I didn't personally think so in the theater at the time, but is that the image of these women that the audience takes home with them, or is it the shots of them battling hammer and tongs with the swarms of monsters with only rocks and pick axes and nary a machine gun or flame thrower in sight?

hmm. couldn't really say. they did tend to dress up a bit for gang members though.