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October movie anyone? Don't forget to vote!
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Angie
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Sep 27, 2008 08:54AM
Does anyone want to do an October movie? I think we should vote sooner so people have a chance to get it. Maybe take the first 10 nominations and then vote? Could have a Halloween theme this month?
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I'm easy. A Halloween theme might be nice, but I doubt anyone would be interested in my picks. What about a film that accesses the ideas of fall, or harvest. of welcoming the darker (shorter) days, or even a Halloween theme without being too obvious?
Now I'm finding it hard to think of a film that would fit that criteria.
I'm going to think about it for a minute and get back to you.
I have to agree with you, Rob, I think Halloween 3 is actually a good one. For so many years, I got used to rejecting it because it was such an anomaly in the Halloween series, but it is really strange and funny and dark on its own. Everything an 80's horror movie should be.
I'm interested Phillip! We have a Halloween film night every year: last year was HALLOWEEN & THE SHINING in high-def and RINGU. This year I'm letting my friends pick and so far it's CLOVERFIELD on Blu-ray, and THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GREY which is released October 6! I'm going to share THE INNOCENTS as the third feature.
And since I can't remember whether or not I've seen it, I would go along with that. (halloween 3)Alex, is that the original Portrait of Dorian Gray? (is that with Farley Granger?)....that's a great film!
OK, I thought of one: Onibaba (1964), directed by Kaneto Shindo
103 minutes - In Japanese with English subtitles
Onibaba is an early 60's classic ghost story from that prolific era of new Japanese cinema. It's nothing like any of the things that have come out of Asia in the past decade that most folks would associate with (contemporary) Asian Horror. This isn't really horror in the classic sense, but much more mysterious and haunting.
I think the only issue might be it's hard to find if you don't have access to Netflix or a good foreign selection at your local video stores. It was released a few years ago by the Criterion Collection, and the print looks great.
Here's a little blurb from the package:
Deep within the windswept marshes of war-torn medieval Japan, an impoverished mother and her daugher-in-law eke out a lonely, desperate existence. Forced to murder lost samurai and sell their belongings for grain, they dump the corpses down a deep, dark hole and live off the meager spoils.
When a bedraggled neighbor returns from the skirmishes, lust, jealousy and rage threaten to destroy the trio's tenuous existence, and an ominous, ill-gotten demon mask seals their horrifying fate.
Driven by primal emotions, dark eroticism, a frienzied score by Hikaru Hayashi, and stunning images both lycical and macabre, Keneto Shindo's chilling folktale Onibaba is a singular cinematic experience.
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I'm thinking that if perhaps for convenience sake we say we stick with Halloween 3 for a Halloween night film, and Onibaba for the "monthly" film....since it's fall and harvest time, it seems only natural to have an abundance - 2 films!
What do you think? It would be fun to know that all of us would be watching a film on the same night (Halloween 3 on Halloween). And for our October Special, we watch it in addition to the monthly film (Onibaba).
Thoughts?
Ooh, Onibaba is on my Netflix list. I'll definitely get to it in October.Also, I added some Vincent Price classics. I couldn't find a new version of The Picture of Dorian Grey, though...
Phillip, it's the 1945 version with George Sanders. It has never been released on DVD before (in the US) but October 7 it should be out and available from Netflix. I'm just going to purchase it because it looks so damn good! What excites me is the cinematographer is Harry Stradling, who filmed Hitchcock's SUSPICION, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and one of my guilty pleasures...JOHNNY GUITAR!
OK so far I am seeing:Halloween 3
Nightmare Before Christmas
Cloverfield
The Innocents
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Onibaba
four more nominations..
Rob I couldn't tell if you were nominating the Wicker Man and Equinox...
Alex,I love Johnny Guitar! I saw it when I was a kid at the Filmex 48 hour Cowboy Marathon, and had looked for it for years. I saw it when it screened at The Castro about two years ago, and it was released on DVD at approximately that time. I'd like to find it on DVD and have it in the collection. No one seems to know about this film. For those of you that are scratching your head, this is a western starring Joan Crawford and Sterling Haden; it's a technicolor classic, and it has some really whack scenes in it that are really funny. It might be a little campy for some folks, it might not. The ending sequence is fantastic though....there is some great humor in the script.
That's the version of Dorian Grey I was thinking of. I'm glad it will be released on DVD, I'd like to pick that up as well.
Angie,
You're in for a treat. The Innocents (recommended by either Rob or Alex, can't remember), is a really fine film. I can't believe I had never seen it. We had a lengthy discussion on it in the Horror discussion group recently. Please let us know when you've seen it and tell us what you think.
Rob,
Any comments on Onibaba? What did you think?
I have mixed feelings about Wicker Man as well. I remember thinking "wow, this film is really bizarre", but I'm not sure I liked it. I've never seen Equinox.
I guess we could start voting now. You can vote by clicking polls on the right side of the home page. We'll end voting October 1st and then start discussing the movie that we picked!
EQUINOX was one of my favorite films as a kid. It used to play on Late Night TV and I'd stay up and watch it every time. I see that Criterion has released it so I should give it a go as an adult. It's probably been 30 years since I've seen it but the ending always creeped me out. Phillip, there's good and bad new about JOHNNY GUITAR on DVD. The bad news first: it has never been released in the US on DVD. Now the good news: there is a steelbook edition available from Spain (region 2 PAL format) that is just a knockout in image quality. But you'd need a region free player that converts PAL to NTSC standard...and they can be a bit expensive.
I have a region free player, but I'm not sure what PAL and NTSC means...I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to technology. I believe the term is luddite...Are you sure about Johnny Guitar not being available in standard formats? I could have sworn I rented it from Netflix a while back. Maybe it was from the video store....I saw it on the big screen, and then I know I watched it here at home more recently.
I did see that Equinox was released by Criterion....I've held it in my hand a few times at the video store. Sounds like there are a lot of mixed opinions on it, which always peaks my interest.
if you want to keep it in the theme of halloween, then rob is right. i never said we shouldn't watch halloween 3, just to be clear, i was just saying we could add another movie, if we wanted. but we could just as easily save onibaba or the innocents for november.
if you want to keep it in the theme of halloween, then rob is right. i never said we shouldn't watch halloween 3, just to be clear, i was just saying we could add another movie, if we wanted. but we could just as easily save onibaba or the innocents for november.
Here is my take on this theme. I personally don't think I could spend a lot of time discussing one halloween movie (maybe I am crazy). So here is my suggestion, why don't we do a theme? Like scary movies, or halloween movies in general. We can do comparisons, what works what doesn't, favorite scenes. Why scary movie genres are popular. Music effects. There are a lot of possibilities. Just my humble opinion.
Meg, I think someone already started a thread with that topic.
I thought someone already stated in another thread that the october films were cloverfield and halloween 3...???
Yea, not sure what happened... so don't worry about voting the movies were already picked.
Rob, Never fear. You are the last person I would accuse of being pushy.
I'm fine watching Halloween 3, and I'm actually pretty excited about seeing it...I've never caught it.
come on, rob: buck up!several others chimed in and said it was a treat, i'm not the least bit worried about it. you have great taste in horror, i can't imagine that you're very far off the mark. and if i don't like it - who cares? i take full responsibility for my viewing.
cut it out. i would have to hang my head in shame for the rest of my life if i took my guilty pleasures too seriously. but this just might be a seriously good film.it may be like my love for gojira...completely irrational. there - consider that as evidence that i am not an intellectual snob.
I've never seen HALLOWEEN 3 but I'm up for something new..to me anyway. Looks like a great recommendation because Rob has a keen eye for horror films and it's another one that I would have missed. Can't wait to see it! I just watched the Blu-ray of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and will post a review tonight or tomorrow. Looks and sounds great in HD.
damn, you beat me to that. well, perhaps not yet. i was thinking it was time to watch TCM and try to sum up why i feel it is the greatest american nightmare on film.
