|
Post by TheNewMads on May 25, 2011 11:32:21 GMT -5
if you're talking about "House II: The Second Story," the 80s horror farce, i've always loved that movie too. a college staple for me and my drinking buddies, that one was.
|
|
|
Post by Frameous on May 25, 2011 11:41:58 GMT -5
That very one Gotta love Royal Dano and John Ratzenberger.
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Plumber on May 25, 2011 13:16:43 GMT -5
House (1986) Roger Cobb (William Katt) returns to the house where son disappeared and his aunt recently committed suicide. Cobb realizes that there is a supernatural force in possession of the house, and deciphering this possession may be the key to saving his long lost son. I have never watched The Greatest American Hero, which I suppose is Katt's claim to fame. So, I neither hold such a role to his credit or against him. When I think of Katt, I think of House. I've not been able to watch this picture as many times as I would like to. Its sequel was a childhood favorite of mine and is one of the pictures from my childhood that's held up far better over the years. So, my inspiration to watch House is because of my feelings for its sequel. As perhaps a testimony to how much of a pig I am, my favorite scene from the film is when Katt meets his next door neighbor Tanya. The actress playing Tanya has got to be one of the worst actresses in film history, but she favored us by wearing the tightest one-piece swimsuit I have ever seen. Every time the camera set its focus behind her, my jaw would hit the ground and my eyes would jump out of my skull. Wow. A very entertaining bit of casting is George Wendt as Katt's neighbor. NORM!! To a certain extent, Wendt's character got a little annoying because of his invasive nature, but Katt's behavior somewhat justified Wendt's. To another extent, I wish there was more Wendt than there actually was. When I see Wendt helping Katt catch the closet monster, that somewhat resembled the role I wanted to see Wendt uphold for the whole film. Oh, well. How's the world treating you, Mr. Peterson? I also think the effects are pretty good. Two things that come to mind is how Katt finds the portal leading to his son and the zombie monster featured at the end of the film. One thing I wasn't impressed with, though, was the film's portrayals of Vietnam. Not once did I believe that Katt and Richard Moll were in the jungles of Vietnam as opposed to a closed set. While House is meant to be a comic horror, I have to admit I legitimately jumped out of my seat at a few points. On a technical level, House is a superior film and I certainly like it. Still, for whatever reasons, its sequel is closer to my heart and is more enjoyable for me personally.
|
|
|
Post by TheNewMads on May 25, 2011 13:24:21 GMT -5
i remember thinking that too, that house was a better movie technically, but house 2 has always been my preferred one. that movie takes a TON of risks, and it could have been disastrously stupid, but it was just so over-the-top farcical and unique that it really made an impression on me. (i put it on my netflix queue so we'll see if it holds up, i've not seen it in at least 10 years. now that i'm learning about the bikini action in house 1, i believe i'll add that as well. )
|
|
|
Post by Frameous on May 25, 2011 13:45:16 GMT -5
I have to differ in that the original beats the sequel hands down on all fronts: scares, fx, humor, acting, etc. But that's the fun of opinions. Big Ben is a great villain and the stuff with Wendt is lots of fun. Did anyone else wonder why both movies have a Cheers cast member in them? For what it's worth, House 4 is available to watch for free on Youtube. I didn't think it was very good, but it does have William Katt in it and is a return to form for the franchise. From what I understand, it kind of struck the same chord the first two did for us with a younger generation (many recall the pizza gag).
|
|
|
Post by TheNewMads on May 25, 2011 14:35:30 GMT -5
I have to differ in that the original beats the sequel hands down on all fronts: scares, fx, humor, acting, etc. But that's the fun of opinions. Big Ben is a great villain and the stuff with Wendt is lots of fun. Did anyone else wonder why both movies have a Cheers cast member in them? For what it's worth, House 4 is available to watch for free on Youtube. I didn't think it was very good, but it does have William Katt in it and is a return to form for the franchise. From what I understand, it kind of struck the same chord the first two did for us with a younger generation (many recall the pizza gag). yeah, that may be true, about house vs. house 2. as i say, we were in college, and though house may have had more professionalism, there was something about house 2's heightened randomness and outrageousness that made it more resonant to, shall we say, mildly altered mental states. i've said too much!
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Plumber on May 25, 2011 16:20:51 GMT -5
House II: The Second Story (1987) Jesse (Arye Gross) returns to the mansion where his parents were murdered when he was but a baby. He and his buddy Charlie (Jonathan Stark) manage to uncover a magic crystal skull and its proprietor, Jesse's zombified great-great-grandfather (Royal Dano) who had been kept alive by the skull's magic. Jesse and Charlie also learn that, with the skull returned, the mansion becomes a gateway station to multiple time eras, and it is their responsibility to make sure the skull doesn't fall into the hands of evil. House II is a sequel in the same sense that Final Fantasy games are sequels. It is in itself a new story that doesn't require having viewed the first movie. However, the movie does pay homage or possesses various parallels to the first movie. For example, the central focus of both films is a paranormal house, both protagonists are writers, and the final villain is a zombie of sorts. Amongst the videos following this post, you'll note also one other connection between both films. House featured George Wendt as a nosy neighbor. House II features John Ratzenberger as an adventurer / electrician. "Looks like you've got some kind of alternate universe in there or something." It's actually quite funny seeing Cliffy in this picture. Something I still have a hard time believing is that Ratzenberger was also in The Empire Strikes Back. Weird. I've read criticisms and there's some legitimacy to them, such as some acting being wooden or the plot being repetitive. It's my opinion that this film is still great in spite of its so-called flaws, because at least the film doesn't pretend to be greater than it actually is. I talk about House II in this thread, but my ability to do so is trivial. There are sources that cite it as being a horror film. I disagree. It's more so a fantasy film that incidentally features two undead zombies. Ghostbusters is a far more terrifying film than this. After all, there's a caterpillar with a puppy's face. Maybe it's more so a horror for kids. This film also features one of the greatest villains in film history: Slim Reeser. Why? He's a zombie cowboy with the voice of Dr. Claw. How cooler could a villain get? The showdown between Jesse and Reeser is the great highlight of the film. There's no sexy swimsuit scenes like in the previous film, but the film does feature Playboy Playmate Devin DeVasquez as an Aztec virgin. Royal Dano doesn't have much to do in this film, and I believe there's a real world reason for that. If you listen to the DVD commentary, the makers of the film noted that Dano didn't have insurance and lived a fairly unhealthy lifestyle. The idea of Dano getting injured doing any major action or stunts would have doomed the picture. So, the film becomes a vehicle for the unappreciated Arye Gross to find meaning in his life. The music score by Harry Manfredini is probably one of the best features of this film. I really wish it was available on CD. Also, look for Bill Mayer amongst this cast and listen for a dated Ronald Reagan joke. I wonder if I am mainly looking at House II through what I hear called "rose-colored glasses". I'm left to question: if I didn't have any nostalgic memory of this picture and only got to view it as an adult, would I think as highly of it as I do now? Nevertheless, I still love the film. Even if every mainstream critic turns their nose up at it, I will still continue to recommend it.
|
|
|
Post by Joker on May 26, 2011 18:37:31 GMT -5
I had watched the first House film years ago and thought it was okay. I had only seen a few snippets from the second film and thought it looked like one of those bad Charles Band films so I've never watched it all the way through. The third House film is called The Horror Show and had nothing to do with the first two films, but is streaming on Netflix.
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Plumber on May 28, 2011 1:33:38 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Frameous on May 28, 2011 16:12:49 GMT -5
Great vids, all classics. Thanks to our recent contributors, it's nice to see some fresh faces and perspectives in here.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
An abused meat packing worker dies on the slaughter room floor while giving birth to a deformed monster baby. It's discovered in the trash bin by Mamma Hewitt and given the name Thomas. Thus a horror icon is born. He grows up to be young Leatherface, wearing a crude mask to hide his brutal visage. When the health department shuts down that same slaughterhouse that he now works in (which basically cripples the town's economy in the process), 'Face flips his sh/t and starts killing. His adopted Papa (the hilarious R Lee Ermey) blows away the local sheriff who is out to get his boy, and in the process goes power mad as he takes up the mantle of local law enforcement. After ensnaring a group of draft dodging teens (and a few bikers for good measure), the plot takes us through the Leatherface origin story, and also explains some of the creative decisions laid out in its predecessor from 2003. I expected to hate this one, but was pleasantly surprised at its vulgar hilarity, gore, and respect for the original that started it all. My only complaint is that it all takes place in roughly one day and has an unrealistic ending. It seems a little false that 'Face became homicidal, adopted his trademark chainsaw, and fashioned his first dead skin mask in the span of 24 hours. Oh well. The nods to the original (complete with dinner scene, a window jump, and a John Larroquette narration coda) outweigh any quibbles I had with anything else. I'll end by saying this was far better than either the Friday or Nightmare remakes from it's production company, Platinum Dunes.
|
|
|
Post by The Mad Plumber on May 29, 2011 13:24:44 GMT -5
Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) A small amount of blood that seeps through the attic floor boards is all that was needed to help revive Frank as a disgusting skinless zombie. He commissions his former lover Julia with finding victims to sacrifice to help Frank restore his former self. When Kirsty investigates, she runs afoul the demonic cenobites that are searching for Frank. In the sequel, Kirsty's stories about the cenobites attract the attention of the sadistic surgeon Channard who wishes to unlock the secrets of Hell. Channard utilizes the mute Tiffany to solve the puzzle box that will open the doors to Hell ... and incidentally also summons the cenobites. I am not a horror fan and it is movies like these that stood as evidence why. When I was a child and would go to the local video rental, I would see the images of these horror film boxes and be a little disturbed. And this is coming from a person whose favorite all-time films includes RoboCop. Seeing the images of Pinhead as I was older, maybe he came off as somewhat goofy-looking. For some reason, I must have interpreted that he was wearing a mask with outward-pointing pins and I thought that he kills people by head-butting them. I never realized that the pins were supposed to be nailed into his head and that the lines on his face are scars. Admittedly, the second film is more interesting than the first. The second brings some level of closure on the story of the cenobites. In fact, the scene I like watching is when Kirsty helps the cenobites realize the truth of themselves who end up redeeming themselves briefly. Also, it's more interesting to see the hellish world that the cenobites occupy as opposed to the cenobites appearing in the mortal world. Perhaps kids are more jaded and desensitized these days, but for me, this was the stuff of nightmares. After looking at all these videos, I just realized: Bela Lugosi's Count Dracula failed to make the cut, but Warwick Davis' Leprechaun did. Hmm.
|
|
|
Post by Joker on Jun 2, 2011 22:20:34 GMT -5
The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
At an opera house in London the newest production of Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough) of Joan of Arc is cancelled because of sabotage and murder. Someone has a problem with D'Arcy personally and demands someone find the mysterious Phantom (Herbert Lom) so that they can make the show happen. The leading lady leaves from fear and a new young ingenue (Heather Sears) is chosen to play Joan. The young successful producer trying to get the opera made while butting heads with D'Arcy does some detective work and finds out who the Phantom was before a disfiguring accident and how the lecherous D'Arcy created the show with no real musical talent...
Herbert Lom is always fun to watch, but here is pretty subdued and is also hard to understand while talking through his mask. Gough is a fun beast as the slimy D'Arcy. The ending feels a bit rushed, but is actually a lot different from the usual Hammer film where the motivation of the Phantom is noble even if it doesn't warrant murdering people. It is probably the most dramatic horror version of this story by Gaston Leroux. Not scary, but powerful in a pro-art way.
Paranoiac (1963)
The Ashby family has some bad problems. Aunt Harriet (Sheila Burrell) tries to keep things together as her niece Eleanor (Janette Scott) is seemingly going insane because she keeps seeing her dead brother Tony around. Meanwhile, her short-fused psychotic brother Simon (Oliver Reed) has been running up giant bills from his drunken playboy lifestyle while waiting for the inheritance he'll get in three weeks. That gets complicated when Tony (Alexander Davion) saves Eleanor from suicide and seems to be back from his own. Simon becomes more psychotic and this seems to be some sort of scheme with a Tony lookalike to get the money, but Simon is getting worse and won't let someone else take what's his...
This seems to be a British version of Psycho (1960) with a very over-the-top performance from Reed as the mentally degenerating Simon. This becomes more frightening when someone in a mask attacks with a bailing hook and the secret of Tony is suddenly revealed as this dark psychological thriller unravels. Recommended if you like dry and suspenseful British films and if you want to see Oliver Reed wig out intensely.
|
|
|
Post by Frameous on Jun 10, 2011 22:19:26 GMT -5
Super 8 (2011)
In 1979 a group of young teens band together to shoot a zombie movie with a super 8 camera. The director's best friend Joe has recently lost his mother in an accident and is struggling under his over barring, newly single father (who is also the town's Deputy). After sneaking out one night to film a scene, the kids witness an explosive train derailment involving their biology teacher. Chased from the scene by an ominous military presence, they can't help but want to investigate, all the while incorporating the unfolding disaster in their film. People and animals go missing, cars are stripped, power lines disappear right off their poles, and the air force begins to slowly close its grip on the panicking town. When they get the developed film back from the night of the catastrophe, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Throw in a star crossed romance, coming of age moments, and some genuine humor and you've got a good idea what Super 8 is all about.
This film is like the passing of the torch from Spielberg to Abrams. Both directors display a deft hand at humor, performance, whimsy, and reality. This movie is like The Goonies meet Close Encounters, with all the 'Bergian trappings that made him the man he is today. The production design is seamless, and the attention to detail is impressive (a short scene of a child contemplating in a bath features pruney fingers). Like many of Spielberg's joints, this one has the requisite sentimentality and a few leaps of logic, but nothing that cripples what turns out to be a fantastic piece of entertainment. For horror fans, this delivers a heart warming portrait of kids weaned on Famous Monsters of Filmland, creature models, and Z Grade zombie and horror films.
|
|
|
Post by Joker on Jun 16, 2011 19:33:30 GMT -5
The Killer Must Kill Again (1975)
An adulterous man is tired of his wealthy wife and her shrewish ways and is going to leave her for his mistress, but will lose a bunch of money if he does. When he catches a ghoulish looking serial killer in the act of getting rid of a body he blackmails the killer into killing his wife for $20,000. The job gets done, but the car with the dead wife in the trunk gets stolen by a young couple going to the beach. The killer follows and cruelly rapes the virgin girlfriend while the filmmakers tastelessly cut the scene together with her horny boyfriend getting lucky with a blonde bimbo.
Actually it doesn't really matter what happens in this film because of one line that a police inspector says after the harrowing time this young couple had at the house on the coast with the killer:
"Well, you certainly had an exciting weekend at the beach."
I've never really wanted to backhand a movie hard enough to draw blood until now. The inspector says this matter of factly, doesn't apologize because of his lack of any semblance of manners around a rape victim, and the victimized woman doesn't reach across the desk to scream in his fat arrogant face about what she's just been through.
That's when you realize that this flippant attitude appears to be the just one of the filmmakers' negative thoughts on women that are sprinkled throughout the movie. Women are portrayed as shrewish, needy, weak, meat to be ogled, and dead meat props. The only mystery in this loser giallo is how any women agreed to be in this film. It's very hard to find horror films that are this anti-woman with no strong female characters - especially one like this where one line turns a movie into a pile of poo and promptly flushes itself down the toilet to irrelevance. Just hateful.
The Clown Murders (1976)
A bunch of successful men decide to play a trick on their ambitious friend who plans on selling an idyllic farmhouse where a creepy young man and a nostalgic caretaker work. The four men dress as clowns for a costume party and kidnap the guy's wife so she can't sign the papers to finalize the deal on time. This was supposed to all be a joke, but things get more and more complicated and the hostage woman begins to manipulate the men as their middle age problems, personal quirks, and histories collide. Things only get worse as someone dressed in coveralls and wearing one of their clown masks suddenly makes this a much more terrifying experience.
John Candy is top billed in the overly salacious-looking cover art even though he's just a supporting player here and seems like the most mature person amongst the group of kidnappers (up to a point). He plays the role seriously and does a very good job as the overeating loner. It's more of a dark psychological thriller where all of these guys hangups become their worst enemy. The film does get spooky when the clown killer starts to attack. In the end it's at least a very good character piece with strong performances if not the killer clown nightmare you think it will be.
|
|
|
Post by Joker on Jun 23, 2011 20:45:27 GMT -5
Something Weird (1967)
Cronin Mitchell was an electrical worker whose face was hideously mutilated in a power line accident. He was also gifted with powerful psychic abilities and now works as a masked psychic while wallowing in depression over his lost looks. An ugly witch promises him his looks back if he'll be her lover, but they still get to see other people apparently. Mitchell gets contacted by the police in a small Wisconsin town where a serial killer is murdering women. Can he find the killer even as a government agent is trying to recruit him for psychic detente against the Russians?
Cronin is such an arrogant ass you won't care. When his face is restored he starts hitting on women when he seems infinitely more in love with himself. There is only one creepy part in the movie as part of a non sequitur subplot about a haunted church where he has to investigate why the ghost is there. The rest of the time this Ken Doll-looking loser is just being insufferable. I'd rather have heard the story of the witch (who is supposed to be ugly, but whose hairstyle is now in and seemingly is normal on the rest of her body - although the lips painted on her knee are confusing). It's a pretty horrible movie from goremeister Hershell Gordon Lewis - and there's not even that much gore on display here.
Village of the Damned (1960)
The small town of Midwich, U.K. is suddenly hit with mass unconsciousness. After people awaken the British military can't find anything wrong with them, until the pregnancies in any woman fit to bear a child hit. What seems like the dream of a local scientist (George Sanders) and his wife (Barbara Shelley) when they have a rapidly develping albino child becomes a nightmare as the children have deadly telekinetic abilities. He realizes the strange blond children are not from this planet and plan on destroying humanity. Too bad they can also read minds and see an attack coming - unless there is a way to block them...
This is a dark sci-fi/horror story which had some pretty violent moments (that are sort of offscreen). A bunch of little kids with a collective hive-mind are pretty creepy. This must have been the start of this creepy kid-subgenre. Because of the British production you don't get very emotional performances for the most part, but the idea becomes more mind-blowing as the story progresses.
Children of the Damned (1964)
A hyper-intelligent little boy is targeted by the governement because of the sudden appearance of similar exceptional kids from around the world - who are conveniently living in their countries' various respective embassies in London. When they force a nanny to help them as they hole up in a ruined church the military surrounds the place as the children assemble a weapon capable of terrible destruction. Two academics try to appeal to the youngsters, who apparently are a part of some sort of alien-spawned collective. International tensions boil over as the children are seen as a threat to global security and they're true purpose on Earth seems more and more hostile.
This is not as good as the first film. The children are just dead-eyed multicultural kids with no emotions and a muddy motivation for being here. The two academics may be a gay couple (and one looks startlingly like a balding Ryan Reynolds), but that's not the story. This seems to be the prototype for Speilberg flicks with a powerful "reason with the aliens as the military makes stuff worse" plot. The settings are very stark as London seems sparsely populated and the ending is pretty downbeat, but it's still very slow and dull.
|
|