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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Deep Red (Profondo rosso) (1975) in Movies
Jul 19, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
Deep Red (aka Profondo rosso) is a thriller/slasher from Italian writer/director Dario Argento.
When Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) witnesses the murder of the women living in the flat below him he finds himself in a race to find the murderer before he becomes their next victim. The films killer follows a lot of what would become familiar tropes in slasher films, the killer is rarely seen and when they are seen they are covered u, they use a number of different ways to kill their victims and they have a habit of sneaking around. There isn't necessarily a a lot of blood from the kills, that is to say blood is sprayed around but when there is blood it is filmed in such a way that you can't miss it, in fact they eye is drawn to it.
Speaking of eyes there are a lot of them, Dario Argento has his own style of filming, he uses filters and strange camera angles and, in Deep Red a lot of closeups on eyes, sometimes just for scene transitions.
As well as being a Slasher, Deep Red is a mystery, as the film progresses Marcus the protagonist find clues as to the identity of the killer giving the viewer the chance to work out who it is as well. But there are red herrings and a lot of things that don't necessarily make sense. There is a clockwork boy, used only one by the killer, there is a creepy girl with a possibly mad farther, two facts that really don't affect the story.
As I said, Deep Red contains a lot of the Slasher tropes but it predates most of them, even beating Halloween by three years and so you can see that it has a big influence on the modern (well 80's so not so modern now) slashers.
The down side is that Deep Red is slow, there is a lot of talking, although contained in this are some clues as to the killers identity and the level of violence isn't quite as much as some of the more modern films, it does however beat some of it's slasher predecessors such as Psycho.
Over all Deep Red is a good film, slightly more mystery than slasher but with enough kills to keep a slasher fan happy. The story does plod along at is own pace but over all an enjoyable film.
When Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) witnesses the murder of the women living in the flat below him he finds himself in a race to find the murderer before he becomes their next victim. The films killer follows a lot of what would become familiar tropes in slasher films, the killer is rarely seen and when they are seen they are covered u, they use a number of different ways to kill their victims and they have a habit of sneaking around. There isn't necessarily a a lot of blood from the kills, that is to say blood is sprayed around but when there is blood it is filmed in such a way that you can't miss it, in fact they eye is drawn to it.
Speaking of eyes there are a lot of them, Dario Argento has his own style of filming, he uses filters and strange camera angles and, in Deep Red a lot of closeups on eyes, sometimes just for scene transitions.
As well as being a Slasher, Deep Red is a mystery, as the film progresses Marcus the protagonist find clues as to the identity of the killer giving the viewer the chance to work out who it is as well. But there are red herrings and a lot of things that don't necessarily make sense. There is a clockwork boy, used only one by the killer, there is a creepy girl with a possibly mad farther, two facts that really don't affect the story.
As I said, Deep Red contains a lot of the Slasher tropes but it predates most of them, even beating Halloween by three years and so you can see that it has a big influence on the modern (well 80's so not so modern now) slashers.
The down side is that Deep Red is slow, there is a lot of talking, although contained in this are some clues as to the killers identity and the level of violence isn't quite as much as some of the more modern films, it does however beat some of it's slasher predecessors such as Psycho.
Over all Deep Red is a good film, slightly more mystery than slasher but with enough kills to keep a slasher fan happy. The story does plod along at is own pace but over all an enjoyable film.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated My Sister Is Missing in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is told from multiple perspectives, but Jess was the one trying to investigate and find her sister. I really liked this approach to the book, it allowed to see different events happening and how they interconnect between the characters in this story. There were a lot of characters in this novel, but they lacked some spirit in them. I could not understand Jess’s relationship with her boyfriend, and some of her thoughts sound quite feeble. I liked this ghostly vibe which the author used in this novel, it felt quite creepy sometimes. 🙂
The narrative of this book was quite interesting. I liked the way the author was throwing in false information, she actually tricked me a couple of times. 🙂 I did enjoy Jess’s investigation process, but I was quite disappointed with her findings. I was expecting something sinister and mind blowing but I didn’t get that. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were postnatal psychosis, difficult mother-child relationships, child abuse, mental health, etc. The narrative does have several threads going on, with different issues discussed, but the second part of the book looks less than a thriller and more like a book about treatment and life in general, and I do like my thrillers to grip me till the last page of the book. I can see that the author utilised her knowledge of hospitals and Sheffield in this novel, and it is always interesting to see how authors are connected to their books. 🙂
The writing style of this book was pleasant to read and the language used easy to understand. I liked the different settings and places used in this novel, it gave more edge to the book. The chapters had a decent length and didn’t drag to me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely but started way too early in my opinion.
So, to conclude, this book has to offer an interesting story and how sometimes our mind can play tricks on us at the worst possible time. I enjoyed this book and the mental health issues it supports. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you. I hope you will give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it.
The narrative of this book was quite interesting. I liked the way the author was throwing in false information, she actually tricked me a couple of times. 🙂 I did enjoy Jess’s investigation process, but I was quite disappointed with her findings. I was expecting something sinister and mind blowing but I didn’t get that. 😦 The topics discussed in this novel were postnatal psychosis, difficult mother-child relationships, child abuse, mental health, etc. The narrative does have several threads going on, with different issues discussed, but the second part of the book looks less than a thriller and more like a book about treatment and life in general, and I do like my thrillers to grip me till the last page of the book. I can see that the author utilised her knowledge of hospitals and Sheffield in this novel, and it is always interesting to see how authors are connected to their books. 🙂
The writing style of this book was pleasant to read and the language used easy to understand. I liked the different settings and places used in this novel, it gave more edge to the book. The chapters had a decent length and didn’t drag to me. The ending of this book rounded the story nicely but started way too early in my opinion.
So, to conclude, this book has to offer an interesting story and how sometimes our mind can play tricks on us at the worst possible time. I enjoyed this book and the mental health issues it supports. If you are looking for a light thriller, this book is for you. I hope you will give this book a go, and I hope you will enjoy it.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Gretel & Hansel (2020) in Movies
Sep 10, 2020
Something Wicked
Gretel and hansel is everything I hoped it would be & more, a devilsh dive into witchcraft & an utterly nightmarish visual feast for both the eyes & senses. Gretel & Hansel is a new take on the well known Grimm fairytale & for a simple comparison it's much like one of my favourite horror films of all time 2015's The witch. Now I'm guessing that's put some people off already but those who are still with me are in for a delightful treat. Think Suspira if it were boiled in a pot with the witch, hagazussa & it comes at night & you have painted a picture of what to expect here. Extremely slow pacing, constantly lingering ominous dread & a soundtrack that's likely to cause the hairs on your neck to stand up every time it drones. To say this film is absolutely gorgeous is an insult, every single frame is awash with beautifully striking & highly interesting to explore imagery & colour. It's so visually striking & breathtaking I could happily of sat & watched it with no sound & still be as entranced by its wicked ways. However the way these visuals mash with the synth & droning soundtrack honestly kept me glued to the screen seemingly bewitched & fixated in a trance like state. As you can tell these types of films are my passion when it comes to horror, I much prefer the slow lingering constant sense of dread & creepy imagery that lead up to a shocking pay off while also intertwining the kind of depth & philosophy you have to unravel yourself instead of being spoon fed the plot by the characters themselves. This film is no different & as we delve deep into such themes as female empowerment, innocence, sacrifice, responsibility, naivety, addiction & greed as a viewer the web spun for you begins to unravel about what the film is truly trying to say at its core. Sophia Lillis who you may know from IT does wonders here as Gretel & it's her character, acting & attachment that really hooks you & makes every scene with her in feel calming amongst all the oddities going on. I honestly can not praise this film enough & say if your into art house cinema do not hesitate at grabbing this on glorious 4k. A stunning, breathless wonder of a movie to that will leave you feeling body unnerved & your mind shaken.
Joe Goodhart (27 KP) rated Dark Nights: Metal in Books
Nov 30, 2020
So, here's how I am gonna open this review.. With a kinda-sorta-but-not-reeeaaallly Spoiler: it's got a scene with <i>frikkin' Batman</i> riding a <b>DINOSAUR</b> (a T-Rex or Allosaurus)! Look, even you are one of those self-proclaimed haters of all things METAL-related, it's <u>the @#$% BATMAN on a #$@ing DINOSAUR</u>! If that ain't enough to get you excited, well, then, go watch an episode of SAVED BY THE BELL! instead, because that's more your speed!
DARK NIGHTS: METAL (as well as the prequel pieces, THE FORGE and THE CASTING) was one hell of an entertaining ride! It was clear that Scott Snyder had a great appreciation for the events of old, offering us a leaner event than Marvel has in the last five years! Sure, there was some hiccups along the way, and that is nearly truly for anything piece of literature. However, the hiccups were not enough to take away from the love and care that Snyder and Capullo put into this decidely scary (in an EVENT HORIZON or HELLRAISER-kinda way) yet highly interesting!
This was a tale spun out of FINAL CRISIS and 52, with ties as far back as CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH! Yet, it also showed some of the intricacies at play since Dr. Manhattan's "tinkering" (Man, I hope DOOMSDAY CLOCK gets finished before I die)! Yes, sometimes as the adventure unfolds, there may be a moment here or there where you'll be like, "Um, that's just not something that'd happen!". Well, duh, it's a comic book, silly! If you can hit [PAUSE] on the UberCriticalComicFan sub-routine in your brain, you might find that this is actually pretty damned good stuff! You can clearly see the love and attention put into this by both the writer and the artist alike!
Speaking of which..
Greg Capullo was a great choice to partner up with Snyder for this! His art is tight, yet creepy and foreboding! There were several moments throughout where I was just like, "Holy cow!". It honestly felt like a good DC movie (not like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN)!
Look, at the end of the day, here's what you've got: one hell of a good hero story, something any non-Trump supporters could use right about now! It's just Good vs. Evil, plain and simple! If that ain't the basis for a good story, then, heck, I don't know what is!
DARK NIGHTS: METAL (as well as the prequel pieces, THE FORGE and THE CASTING) was one hell of an entertaining ride! It was clear that Scott Snyder had a great appreciation for the events of old, offering us a leaner event than Marvel has in the last five years! Sure, there was some hiccups along the way, and that is nearly truly for anything piece of literature. However, the hiccups were not enough to take away from the love and care that Snyder and Capullo put into this decidely scary (in an EVENT HORIZON or HELLRAISER-kinda way) yet highly interesting!
This was a tale spun out of FINAL CRISIS and 52, with ties as far back as CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTH! Yet, it also showed some of the intricacies at play since Dr. Manhattan's "tinkering" (Man, I hope DOOMSDAY CLOCK gets finished before I die)! Yes, sometimes as the adventure unfolds, there may be a moment here or there where you'll be like, "Um, that's just not something that'd happen!". Well, duh, it's a comic book, silly! If you can hit [PAUSE] on the UberCriticalComicFan sub-routine in your brain, you might find that this is actually pretty damned good stuff! You can clearly see the love and attention put into this by both the writer and the artist alike!
Speaking of which..
Greg Capullo was a great choice to partner up with Snyder for this! His art is tight, yet creepy and foreboding! There were several moments throughout where I was just like, "Holy cow!". It honestly felt like a good DC movie (not like BATMAN V. SUPERMAN)!
Look, at the end of the day, here's what you've got: one hell of a good hero story, something any non-Trump supporters could use right about now! It's just Good vs. Evil, plain and simple! If that ain't the basis for a good story, then, heck, I don't know what is!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Fright Night (1985) in Movies
Jan 19, 2021
Fright Night absolutely epitomizes everything that is great about its era and genre. Its just flat out top tier 80s horror.
It has great pacing for a start, wasting no time getting to business, as teenager Charley (William Ragsdale) is immediately sus of his new next door neighbour Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) before quickly (and correctly) accusing him of being a vampire.
Ragsdale is a good lead, even if his character is frustratingly written at times, but it's his teammates who shine here. Amanda Bearse is a scene stealer as Charley's girlfriend Amy, and is equally great when she's adorably likable for the most part, and when she is suitably creepy-as-fuck near the climax. Same goes for Stephen Geoffreys as Charley's friend Ed - typical bone headed teenager one minute, before gleefully relishing in being a creature of the night the next minute. Roddy McDowall plays Peter Vincent, a soon to be washed up horror TV personality who's services are enlisted to help defeat the vampire next door. The three of them together are a damn fine set of support characters.
Chris Sarandon is one smooth S.O.B as the vampyric villain. He manages to be both charming, and a truly evil shit at the same time, and commands attention in all of his scenes.
The narrative is fun, and manages to encapsulate the feeling of teenage adventure. The humour and horror are perfectly balanced throughout. The first half is witty as hell, especially the way that Jerry and his housemate Billy (Jonathan Stark) just fuck with Charley (before things get a little nastier) is low key hilarious. I would have enjoyed a whole movie of that kind of stuff easily. When things get a little messier, the practical effects on display are superb, and although Fright Night is more a light hearted experience, it still manages to pack in some great gory moments. The scene with Vincent and Ed in wolf mode is a perfect example of how practical horror will always be superior.
Fright Night is a truly fantastic horror gem, where everything just fell into place, from the great cast, to the wonderful screenplay. First time director Tom Holland (who would of course go on to direct Child's Play) hit the ground running with this one, and it's definitely a favourite of mine.
It has great pacing for a start, wasting no time getting to business, as teenager Charley (William Ragsdale) is immediately sus of his new next door neighbour Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) before quickly (and correctly) accusing him of being a vampire.
Ragsdale is a good lead, even if his character is frustratingly written at times, but it's his teammates who shine here. Amanda Bearse is a scene stealer as Charley's girlfriend Amy, and is equally great when she's adorably likable for the most part, and when she is suitably creepy-as-fuck near the climax. Same goes for Stephen Geoffreys as Charley's friend Ed - typical bone headed teenager one minute, before gleefully relishing in being a creature of the night the next minute. Roddy McDowall plays Peter Vincent, a soon to be washed up horror TV personality who's services are enlisted to help defeat the vampire next door. The three of them together are a damn fine set of support characters.
Chris Sarandon is one smooth S.O.B as the vampyric villain. He manages to be both charming, and a truly evil shit at the same time, and commands attention in all of his scenes.
The narrative is fun, and manages to encapsulate the feeling of teenage adventure. The humour and horror are perfectly balanced throughout. The first half is witty as hell, especially the way that Jerry and his housemate Billy (Jonathan Stark) just fuck with Charley (before things get a little nastier) is low key hilarious. I would have enjoyed a whole movie of that kind of stuff easily. When things get a little messier, the practical effects on display are superb, and although Fright Night is more a light hearted experience, it still manages to pack in some great gory moments. The scene with Vincent and Ed in wolf mode is a perfect example of how practical horror will always be superior.
Fright Night is a truly fantastic horror gem, where everything just fell into place, from the great cast, to the wonderful screenplay. First time director Tom Holland (who would of course go on to direct Child's Play) hit the ground running with this one, and it's definitely a favourite of mine.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
This isn't a bad film all in all, it certainly fills a more traditional (?) magical gap in recent releases.
The best thing about The House With A Clock In Its Walls is definitely Cate Blanchett, she plays eccentric beautifully in this one and I don't think there were any of her scenes that I wasn't fond of. She bounces well with Jack Black, and their little moments of bickering are amusing and express their playful friendship really well.
Jack Black is very, well, Jack Black in this. He's a good comedic actor, but his roles are always quite similar in ways. That's not a negative thing as such, I like that he's consistent and you know you'll enjoy his performance.
We've been blessed with some great performances from kids in films recently, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying in The Meg and Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna in The Predator, were both brilliant in their roles and were blessed with some great scenes and lines. Owen Vaccaro in this portrayed the awkward Lewis with conviction and was on point for what the film set out for him, but what he was given was on par with the film as a whole. It was good, but it didn't have any oomph behind it.
The story itself seemed to be jogging along nicely in the background, but I'm always left wondering about the baddie reveals. Would the film have felt better if there was less lead up and more of the spooky bad guy moments? I'm honestly not sure, but he seemed to appear and then disappear in a puff of smoke. I wonder how much screen time he had in total?
I will say this... I don't ever need to see "baby" Jack Black ever again. It was creepy, the graphics were horrendous and it was completely inaccurate to the events that were about to unfold, as was evident with the rest of the town who we see experiencing the same thing.
Based on the book The House With A Clock In It's Walls by John Bellairs.
What should you do?
It's not a bad family film to go and see if you've got a couple of hours to spare.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the magic would be too cliché, I'd like a topiary winged lion please.
The best thing about The House With A Clock In Its Walls is definitely Cate Blanchett, she plays eccentric beautifully in this one and I don't think there were any of her scenes that I wasn't fond of. She bounces well with Jack Black, and their little moments of bickering are amusing and express their playful friendship really well.
Jack Black is very, well, Jack Black in this. He's a good comedic actor, but his roles are always quite similar in ways. That's not a negative thing as such, I like that he's consistent and you know you'll enjoy his performance.
We've been blessed with some great performances from kids in films recently, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying in The Meg and Jacob Tremblay as Rory McKenna in The Predator, were both brilliant in their roles and were blessed with some great scenes and lines. Owen Vaccaro in this portrayed the awkward Lewis with conviction and was on point for what the film set out for him, but what he was given was on par with the film as a whole. It was good, but it didn't have any oomph behind it.
The story itself seemed to be jogging along nicely in the background, but I'm always left wondering about the baddie reveals. Would the film have felt better if there was less lead up and more of the spooky bad guy moments? I'm honestly not sure, but he seemed to appear and then disappear in a puff of smoke. I wonder how much screen time he had in total?
I will say this... I don't ever need to see "baby" Jack Black ever again. It was creepy, the graphics were horrendous and it was completely inaccurate to the events that were about to unfold, as was evident with the rest of the town who we see experiencing the same thing.
Based on the book The House With A Clock In It's Walls by John Bellairs.
What should you do?
It's not a bad family film to go and see if you've got a couple of hours to spare.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Having the magic would be too cliché, I'd like a topiary winged lion please.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated A Cure For Wellness (2017) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
What if you were told that you could be cured from any and every ailment, all while relaxing in the picturesque Swiss Alps. Would you go? A Cure For Wellness is a psychological thriller directed by Gore Verbinsky whom in the past brought us Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean. I’m not sure going with a psychological thriller was the best choice for him.
After a young power-hungry stockbroker receives an odd letter from the CEO during a major merger he becomes blackmailed into going and retrieving him. Pembroke (Harry Groener) has taken up permanent residence in a mysterious gothic styled rehabilitation center in a remote part of the Swiss Alps. Pembroke has no intentions of leaving the hospital so Lockhart has plenty of time to explore. As soon as he arrives though, he notices that there is something strange going on. Patients are eating decadent and costly meals and flying kites as if they were on vacation rather than in treatment. Little does he know, he will be at the center of it all after an accident turns him into a patient rather than a visitor.
I feel as though this was less of a thriller and more of a flop. I wasn’t able to connect to Lockhart and frankly at times his character was rather annoying. This made it difficult to sympathize with what might be happening to him. Lockhart reminded me of Leonardo DiCaprio in Scorsese’s Shutter Island. Though Scorsese’s film was way more entertaining and thrilling than this. The film was extremely long (2.5 hours) and when you thought it was going to end another curve ball would be thrown. Though the film was less than entertaining, the actors portrayed their parts well. The scenery and landscapes along with the colors of the filters used did give the film that bit of eeriness the story needed. Some scenes were creepy and others involving animals were disturbing and could’ve been left out in my opinion. I left the theater scratching my head with the old “what the heck did I just watch” thought. This film was just not for me and seemed more like Verbinski bit off more than he could chew. The audience also seemed to be disappointed with it as well.
After a young power-hungry stockbroker receives an odd letter from the CEO during a major merger he becomes blackmailed into going and retrieving him. Pembroke (Harry Groener) has taken up permanent residence in a mysterious gothic styled rehabilitation center in a remote part of the Swiss Alps. Pembroke has no intentions of leaving the hospital so Lockhart has plenty of time to explore. As soon as he arrives though, he notices that there is something strange going on. Patients are eating decadent and costly meals and flying kites as if they were on vacation rather than in treatment. Little does he know, he will be at the center of it all after an accident turns him into a patient rather than a visitor.
I feel as though this was less of a thriller and more of a flop. I wasn’t able to connect to Lockhart and frankly at times his character was rather annoying. This made it difficult to sympathize with what might be happening to him. Lockhart reminded me of Leonardo DiCaprio in Scorsese’s Shutter Island. Though Scorsese’s film was way more entertaining and thrilling than this. The film was extremely long (2.5 hours) and when you thought it was going to end another curve ball would be thrown. Though the film was less than entertaining, the actors portrayed their parts well. The scenery and landscapes along with the colors of the filters used did give the film that bit of eeriness the story needed. Some scenes were creepy and others involving animals were disturbing and could’ve been left out in my opinion. I left the theater scratching my head with the old “what the heck did I just watch” thought. This film was just not for me and seemed more like Verbinski bit off more than he could chew. The audience also seemed to be disappointed with it as well.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) in Movies
Sep 10, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
A shooting star passes over a small American town, when a couple of teens go to investigate they find a big top circus tent that is not from this planet. When the occupants of the tent, a group of extra-terrestrial clowns (or Klowns if you will) start running amok and killing people it’s up to a group of young adults to stop them.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a goofy B movie from the late 1980’s that really doesn’t take itself too seriously. The effects are actually quite good for a film with such a low budget (Only $2 million) with the Klown costumes being just creepy enough not to come across as being too ridiculous, which takes some doing being as the Klowns are busy cocooning people in candy floss and shooting them with popcorn.
As with most B movies (and a lot of mainstream movies) the plot is quite simple, the Klowns have landed and are killing people and storing them as food and this goes in the films favour. If the plot was overly complicated, then it would not fit the feel of the effects.
Killer Klowns is one of those cult movies that has a few really good stand out scenes. My personal favourite being the encounter between the midget Klown and the biker gang. It also has memorable villains. Clowns as villains are quite common, but these are Klowns with alien technology and an interesting weakness. As the Klowns are alien they don’t speak English but this doesn’t mean they are mute, in fact they have a very creative way of bridging the language barrier and it is good see that the film doesn’t fall back on the old ‘communicator’ trope. It does fall back on other tropes though, we have the old isolated figure as the first victim, making it hard to prove that anyone has died, we have the young cop who is trying to make his way but coming into conflict with the older cop. The older cop doesn’t like the kids, he thinks they are just out to cause trouble. All this is ok though as it fits the low budget flow of the film and makes Killer Klowns feel as a cross between ‘Invasion of the body snatchers’ and ‘night of the living dead’.
Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a goofy B movie from the late 1980’s that really doesn’t take itself too seriously. The effects are actually quite good for a film with such a low budget (Only $2 million) with the Klown costumes being just creepy enough not to come across as being too ridiculous, which takes some doing being as the Klowns are busy cocooning people in candy floss and shooting them with popcorn.
As with most B movies (and a lot of mainstream movies) the plot is quite simple, the Klowns have landed and are killing people and storing them as food and this goes in the films favour. If the plot was overly complicated, then it would not fit the feel of the effects.
Killer Klowns is one of those cult movies that has a few really good stand out scenes. My personal favourite being the encounter between the midget Klown and the biker gang. It also has memorable villains. Clowns as villains are quite common, but these are Klowns with alien technology and an interesting weakness. As the Klowns are alien they don’t speak English but this doesn’t mean they are mute, in fact they have a very creative way of bridging the language barrier and it is good see that the film doesn’t fall back on the old ‘communicator’ trope. It does fall back on other tropes though, we have the old isolated figure as the first victim, making it hard to prove that anyone has died, we have the young cop who is trying to make his way but coming into conflict with the older cop. The older cop doesn’t like the kids, he thinks they are just out to cause trouble. All this is ok though as it fits the low budget flow of the film and makes Killer Klowns feel as a cross between ‘Invasion of the body snatchers’ and ‘night of the living dead’.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Halloween (1978) in Movies
Sep 29, 2020
What is there to say about Halloween that hasn't already been said? Not quite the first slasher, but arguably the film to throw this particular sub genre and all its tropes into the spotlight, and it's pretty much the perfect horror.
Halloween is iconic in several ways. A big part of that is it's characters. Laurie Strode is considered by many to be the quintessential scream queen/final girl and that is completely down to Jamie Lee Curtis. Her character is down to earth and relatable, realistic but shows resolve by the time the credits role. This has resulted in her return many times throughout the franchise and is still beloved now.
Donald Pleasance as Dr Loomis is another main stay of the franchise. His character arc is more tempestuous than Laurie's and as a result is less impactful overall, but is an important part nonetheless, especially in the original.
But what would Halloween be if it wasn't for Michael Myers, and indisputable behemoth of horror. His first outing is easily his best, with just enough back story to intrigue, and a quiet determination in the way he mercilessly and calmly stalks his victims. His souless, white mask (a mask infamously modelled after William Shatner) and dark jumpsuit is a simple yet effective aesthetic.
Some of the shots in Halloween are genuinely chilling - they got me when I was a kid, and they still get me now. One shot that always sticks in my head is when Laurie clocks Michael a little way down the street staring at her from behind a bush in broad daylight. The whole film is creepy, something that has seldom been imitated in the huge number of Slashers that followed in its wake.
This is all topped off by the instantly recognisable music score, composed by director John Carpenter (the talented bastard). I'm an unashamed Carpenter fan, and my love for his work started right here, as it did for many others.
Halloween is a film that is rightly still talked about today. It will never fade away, and it's simply down to how good it is, even all these years later. It's a must see piece of cinema, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with The Thing as my personal favourite horror of all time.
Halloween is iconic in several ways. A big part of that is it's characters. Laurie Strode is considered by many to be the quintessential scream queen/final girl and that is completely down to Jamie Lee Curtis. Her character is down to earth and relatable, realistic but shows resolve by the time the credits role. This has resulted in her return many times throughout the franchise and is still beloved now.
Donald Pleasance as Dr Loomis is another main stay of the franchise. His character arc is more tempestuous than Laurie's and as a result is less impactful overall, but is an important part nonetheless, especially in the original.
But what would Halloween be if it wasn't for Michael Myers, and indisputable behemoth of horror. His first outing is easily his best, with just enough back story to intrigue, and a quiet determination in the way he mercilessly and calmly stalks his victims. His souless, white mask (a mask infamously modelled after William Shatner) and dark jumpsuit is a simple yet effective aesthetic.
Some of the shots in Halloween are genuinely chilling - they got me when I was a kid, and they still get me now. One shot that always sticks in my head is when Laurie clocks Michael a little way down the street staring at her from behind a bush in broad daylight. The whole film is creepy, something that has seldom been imitated in the huge number of Slashers that followed in its wake.
This is all topped off by the instantly recognisable music score, composed by director John Carpenter (the talented bastard). I'm an unashamed Carpenter fan, and my love for his work started right here, as it did for many others.
Halloween is a film that is rightly still talked about today. It will never fade away, and it's simply down to how good it is, even all these years later. It's a must see piece of cinema, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with The Thing as my personal favourite horror of all time.
Chroma Crossing Chronicles: Blood Moon Part 2
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Blood Moon—part 2: Candy endeavors to understand the monochromatic ‘beige-world’ she landed...