Movie/TV recommendations

[Scrobbs]

So gutted about 3D stuff. It's inevitable, and I've long thought about it - I will neverbe able to experience this, as my eyes don't work properly together.

[ThunderPeel2001]

English subs for Dutch movies? Is there even a market for Dutch movies outside of the Netherlands and Belgium!?

Is they're decent, yeah. It's not like people go "ooh, I'm a huge fan of Dutch movies", but more "I like challenging and interesting film and I don't care if they're Dutch"!

In the UK there's several distributors of "art house" moves: Tartan, Momentum and Artificial Eye.

(They're not always 100% art house, but they tend to carry smaller movies.)

[toblix]

Just watched Drag Me to Hell. What a dumb and disappointing film. I've heard so much rave about this, I kept thinking it was supposed to be lame initially, with its awesomeness being suddenly revealed, but before I knew it the film was over.

I think the most disappointing scene was the one in the wake where they clearly used CGI instead of real goo. I mean, when your whole film is based around gross slime, don't fake it in the computer. Go stir some shit in a bucket or whatever it is you do.

[elmuerte]

I liked Drag me to Hell a lot. It was a proper 80s style horror movie, which I like a lot. I don't really recall goo... Anyway, I enjoyed that movie much more than the average modern day horror movie.

[Lu]

Same for me. Then again, I'm very familiar with Sam Raimi's early stuff, so I kind of knew what to expect. It kind of drags during the middle, but overall I thought it was an okay film.

So gutted about 3D stuff. It's inevitable, and I've long thought about it - I will neverbe able to experience this, as my eyes don't work properly together.

That sucks. If you don't mind me asking; what, in specific, causes this?

[brkl]

So gutted about 3D stuff. It's inevitable, and I've long thought about it - I will neverbe able to experience this, as my eyes don't work properly together.

It's not all that great. Mostly the glasses you wear are annoying.

[Psych]

They also cause headaches and eye strain.

[toblix]

And you don't know where they've been.

[Lu]

The eyestrain is mostly with LCD shutterglasses, isn't it? Do you have that problem with polarised spectacles?

[Scrobbs]

That sucks. If you don't mind me asking; what, in specific, causes this?

Not at all.

Had a really bad squint when I was a kid, with two ops to cut the muscles and physically move them around the eyeball, it's barely noticeable now, but still means they don't work together to give accurate depth perception. I favour one eye. Short sighted too! Haha!

[vimes]

But then, that means that, for you, watching a movie is damn close to experiencing reality. So, in a sense we're catching on to you, rather than leaving you behind.

[Scrobbs]

Haha! It gets really annoying when my brain decides to pay attention to the other eye, and I get two pictures out of phase.

[Psych]

The eyestrain is mostly with LCD shutterglasses, isn't it? Do you have that problem with polarised spectacles?

Yes, it's a problem with all 3D.

[Patters]

Since when was Jake on house? (The Itch from season 5)

[toblix]

Just watched an episode of the X-Files called First Person Shooter. I saw it back then, but today it was this awesome flashback of the 90s approach TV took. It has it all:

Clunky visors:

Lame UIs:

S&M ninja chick:

Rotating wireframe of S&M ninja chick:

Mulder in lame cyber outfit:

Multiple cyber copies of S&M ninja chick in cowboy costume:

S&M ninja chick in cowboy costume and tank:

[toblix]

I don't really recall goo...

Really? I found that to be one of the film's few redeeming qualities. The old lady's phlegm, vomiting bile and worms and blood? You don't remember any of that?

I found Drag Me to Hell's scare scenes to be really awful. They were all built around the same model:

1. Something scary starts to happen,
   
2. Crescendo as the tension rises,
   
3. Complete silence for about five seconds, then
   

4. BOO!

   
   

It got really predictable and I had to keep turning the volume up and down while watching.

Not really being a fan, or knowledgeable of, 80s horror films, maybe the film wasn't for me, but more of a throwback? I prefer more creepy, disturbing and gross, and less shock in my horror films, but I'm such a wuss, too.

[elmuerte]

Just watched an episode of the X-Files called First Person Shooter. I saw it back then, but today it was this awesome flashback of the 90s approach TV took. It has it all:

That reminds me of that award winning episode of Red Dwarf. Didn't have a SM ninja though.

I found Drag Me to Hell's scare scenes to be really awful. They were all built around the same model:

1. Something scary starts to happen,
   
2. Crescendo as the tension rises,
   
3. Complete silence for about five seconds, then
   

4. BOO!

   
   

It got really predictable and I had to keep turning the volume up and down while watching.

Yep.. that's pretty normal. What amazed me was that most of the people in the cinema fell for it every time. And after that they of course that to talk about how they didn't expect it... every time...

[Chris]

Really? I found that to be one of the film's few redeeming qualities. The old lady's phlegm, vomiting bile and worms and blood? You don't remember any of that?

I found Drag Me to Hell's scare scenes to be really awful. They were all built around the same model:

1. Something scary starts to happen,
   
2. Crescendo as the tension rises,
   
3. Complete silence for about five seconds, then
   

4. BOO!

   
   

It got really predictable and I had to keep turning the volume up and down while watching.

Not really being a fan, or knowledgeable of, 80s horror films, maybe the film wasn't for me, but more of a throwback? I prefer more creepy, disturbing and gross, and less shock in my horror films, but I'm such a wuss, too.

I saw it in the theatre (with Jake) and loved it. I imagine if I were constantly adjusting the volume, it would have been a completely preposterous viewing experience. Do you frequently do that?

Are you a fan of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films? If not, it isn't surprising that you didn't like this. If so, that's too bad I guess. It's not supposed to abjectly terrify you, it's supposed to surprise you and shock you in a hilarious way. Raimi's horror films are as much about comedy as they are horror. It's not for everyone, though. I remember after we saw it there were a bunch of people in theatre talking about how they didn't know if various scenes were intended to be funny or scary, and how they didn't like the film as a result, and the answer is you aren't supposed to think about which it's supposed to be, because it's usually somewhere in between, and at a different point in between for different people.

On a purely filmic note, I also found the sound editing in this film to be incredible. There were never any "dead" moments, except for when there were supposed to be. Very few horror films (or comedies for that matter) successfully pull that off consistently--usually a beat will go on a little too long, or end a little too early, and the music cues won't transition the right way. It's a minor thing, but it was so well-done in this film that it caused me to actually notice because it was good, instead of noticing because it was bad (or not noticing at all). Overall it felt like a movie being made by people who really know their craft well, which is nice to see because usually this genre is more rough--and that includes Raimi's own earlier works in this genre. It was interesting to see Raimi return to this style of film after having worked in a broad range of film for a decade and a half, and then bring what he learned back to his old style.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Ah, I love the Evil Dead trilogy.

[Nevsky]

Raimi's horror films are as much about comedy as they are horror. It's not for everyone, though. I remember after we saw it there were a bunch of people in theatre talking about how they didn't know if various scenes were intended to be funny or scary, and how they didn't like the film as a result, and the answer is you aren't supposed to think about which it's supposed to be, because it's usually somewhere in between, and at a different point in between for different people.

I showed my teenage cousin (who watches a lot of crappy modern horror films) Evil Dead II about a year ago, and he was completely confused by it. About halfway through, he was visibly discomfited by the whole thing, so I paused the DVD and asked what was wrong. He answered, brow furrowed:

'Is this supposed to be funny...?'

I think he enjoyed it in the end, after that, but he just seemed incapable of aesthetically appreciating something that shot between the posts of parody and sincerity - and didn't clearly telegraph that it was one or the other (like, say, the difference between Scary Movie and Silent Hill). In fact, another friend recently saw Drag Me To Hell, and described it on her blog as a 'parody horror film'.

I'm not sure if there's anything or anyone to attach a 'blame' to about this (and of course I'm generalising), but, with my cousin especially (I like to experiment on him with films), he seems to have grown up with a very staid, restricted, generic approach to film. At a slight tangent, I also showed him Rosemary's Baby - which completely bored him for the first hour or so, and then scared the pants off him. Likewise, I think he said The Shining was rubbish because it 'wasn't scary'.

(Not to say that toblix is at all deficient for not liking Drag Me To Hell. I'm yet to see it, so I can't comment.)

[toblix]

I saw it in the theatre (with Jake) and loved it. I imagine if I were constantly adjusting the volume, it would have been a completely preposterous viewing experience. Do you frequently do that?

No, but I'm such a pussy that the extreme volume spikes that happen right after the silent moments scared me shitless, even though I knew they were coming, so I temporarily turned it down for them.

Are you a fan of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films? If not, it isn't surprising that you didn't like this. If so, that's too bad I guess. It's not supposed to abjectly terrify you, it's supposed to surprise you and shock you in a hilarious way.

I guess I'm not a fan. I really liked the Evil Dead films, and I really like his weird mix of comedy and horror. The fact that he doesn't necessarily alternate between them but use both at the same time makes for some sweet moments, like the face-sucking scene. I forgot to mention this, since I always start shitting all over everything when I post, but the whole fight scene in the parking garage was totally amazing, and I really enjoyed the gross stuff (except the unnecessary CGI one I mentioned).

Also, you're right that the film is extremely well-produced. When I start thinking about stuff I liked, the whole grave-scene was amazing as well. Just the whole set and the action in it... really good.

[Fuzzy Lobster]

Just watched an episode of the X-Files called First Person Shooter. I saw it back then, but today it was this awesome flashback of the 90s approach TV took.

HAH! I just saw that recently as well...

Oh man. I was completely dying when Mulder showed up in his future-shooty-person gear plus sword..

I've recently been totally addicted to a super old British show called 'Allo 'Allo if anyone's ever heard of it. It's totally side-splittingly funny.

I really like the Evil Dead movies as well and I LOVE Peter Jackson's older stuff of similar genre. I absolutely adored Dead Alive.

Edited October 11, 2009 by Fuzzy Lobster

[MrHoatzin]

I showed my teenage cousin [...] I also showed him Rosemary's Baby - which completely bored him for the first hour or so, and then scared the pants off him. Likewise, I think he said The Shining was rubbish because it 'wasn't scary'.

Teenagers are dumb little fucks. There is no way of knowing if they will mature out of their shitty tastes until you are sure it is too late.

[James]

A couple of weeks back I overheard a conversation on the train between a bunch of school kids. One boy was telling the others, "You know the Alien vs Predator films? Did you know there was an Alien film before them?" The others seemed surprised, which distressed me. I don't suppose there's any reason why they should have known that, but it seemed mad and depressing. For these kids, the primary reference point for one of my favourite films is a pair of utterly shit films.

I guess this isn't very relevant, other than the superficial qualities of being related to horror films and being related to the youth of today.

[Patters]

A couple of weeks back I overheard a conversation on the train between a bunch of school kids. One boy was telling the others, "You know the Alien vs Predator films? Did you know there was an Alien film before them?" The others seemed surprised, which distressed me. I don't suppose there's any reason why they should have known that, but it seemed mad and depressing. For these kids, the primary reference point for one of my favourite films is a pair of utterly shit films.

I guess this isn't very relevant, other than the superficial qualities of being related to horror films and being related to the youth of today.

Wait there was a second AvP film? either way predator is better