October 2015 Horror Movie a Day

[ScottotD]

Day 2: The Hills Have Eyes (remake)

Never seen this before but Haute Tension is mostly great and I love Pirhana 3D so let's have a look. 

I'll edit my posts to include reviews later

[Darth Geek]

It's a premise that sounds a lot better that it actually ends up being. If the film committed to being either a straight horror film about a killer tire or a meta commentary about movies, it might work but as a mashup, it never quite gels in either direction and just ends up as a mess.

Strongly agree. It's fun enough for one watch, but it doesn't really come together. It really feels very student-filmy.

Seconded. Although to be fair, it's still far better than when crap like SyFy Channel movies have such a silly premis.

[SJP]

I agree with the opinions on Rubber, but as weird as it is and its flaws, you can tell it was made by somebody who understands composition and some of the artsier aspects of filmmaking. The Asylum (aka SyFy Channel's bosom buddies of Sharknado fame) barely knows what a stick of butter looks like.  Crow summed it up best in Hobgoblins..."Can we make it a rule that, in the future, films have to be made by filmMAKERS?"

Anyway, Day 1, Nosferatu, was a panic selection (I was trying to find something quick and it was the first thing I stumbled across).  This is a classic, sure enough, but may be slow going for most.  The boat scene along accounts for most of the running time, with Count Orlok himself only having a bit part, when it gets right down to it.  But for a silent movie, it has aged fairly well...and still evokes, if not fright, than a sense of otherworldliness.
On the other hand, as much as I like it, I still really want to riff this.  The guy who plays Knock looks like he escaped from Willy Wonka's factory and acts like a younger Jim Carrey in a bald wig and a bag of crystal meth in hand.  It has a lot of potential.

[Relaxing Dragon]

My school load means I definitely can't participate this year, but I shall keep my eye on everyone else all the same.

As for Rubber, put me in the "I like it!" camp. It's weird and intentionally aimless, which in and of itself is a flaw (I'd say), but as SJP points out, it's a well made aimless thing, and that makes it work. Plus it actually hit the sweet spot for being just meta enough without being irritating about it, and that goes a long way for me.

[Darth Geek]

Anyway, Day 1, Nosferatu, was a panic selection (I was trying to find something quick and it was the first thing I stumbled across).  This is a classic, sure enough, but may be slow going for most.  The boat scene along accounts for most of the running time, with Count Orlok himself only having a bit part, when it gets right down to it.  But for a silent movie, it has aged fairly well...and still evokes, if not fright, than a sense of otherworldliness.
On the other hand, as much as I like it, I still really want to riff this.  The guy who plays Knock looks like he escaped from Willy Wonka's factory and acts like a younger Jim Carrey in a bald wig and a bag of crystal meth in hand.  It has a lot of potential.

I'd love to see Nosferatu riffed. I am like you, I admire it as a movie milestone, more than I genuinely like to watch it. I'd loooove to see it riffed! And I would definitley be up for helping write if an iRiff group wanted to tackle it.

[SJP]

Day 2: Track of the Moon Beast - MST3K Version

It's been awhile since I've watched this one, but beyond the fantastic riffing (the movie really did need it), it really struck me on this viewing just how slow, meandering, and amateurish this movie really is.  The poor ADR work, the script, the monster suit, the fact that nothing really happens...it really does feel like somebody talked about an old urban legend to a friend, and the friend said that would make a great movie, and then they started making it before realizing "movies be hard."

For those who haven't seen this Oscar-caliber picture, a man gets hit in the head with a moon rock that turns him into a murderous half-man/half-lizard at night.  This causes the town mild concern, as the people killed during the movie are usually gamblers and drunks.  His airhead girlfriend and Johnny Longbow (or Longbone, whichever you prefer) try to save him from his curse before he destroys himself.  The only known cure may require the careful application of chicken, corn, green peppers, chile...*sigh* onions?

A terrible movie, great episode. (I do plan on watching newer stuff as well; this and Nosferatu were just the first things that popped up when I was trying to find stuff to watch.)

[Compound]

[JimJ]

Day 2: The Last Slumber Party (1988) (w/RiffTrax) 0.5/5 (Riff- 4.5/5)

Not much to say.  The movie was atrocious and ridiculous, the riff was hilarious though.  My first time watching it, I used the Miami Connection coupons to get it and Fever Lake (which I'm sure I'll watch sometime in the next few days) along with some of the Bridget and Mary Jo shorts. I'm WAY behind on the VOD releases so it was nice to jump back in with this one.

[Compound]

Raiders of the Lost Shark (2014)

A genetically engineered weaponized shark gets loose in a lake. It eats folks.

Okay, movie makers? When a person is standing in a lake with water up to their waist, a full sized shark can not eat them. A great white shark is about the same height as a person and it needs water constantly moving by its gills or it dies. A shark with a 4 foot tall body isn't going to be able to swim in three feet of water. Nor can one dive into three feet of water to eat someone. And this happens multiple times in the film. And they sure the hell can't fly.

And why the hell is a company in Ontario making a bio-engineered shark? Do they need killer sharks to deal with rogue curling teams?

Is it any good? No. Of course not. The only worthwhile moment is when a character expressed amazement that her phone had wi-fi reception in the woods.I did chuckle at that .

[Edward J Grug III]

Monster House - It may not be the movie Dan Harmon would have liked it to be, but I do really enjoy it.

The House of the Devil - Incredible film. Perfectly captures the feel of an 80s film.

We had seen both before.

[SJP]

Day 3: Black Forest

A doctor who recently lost his wife joins a tour group that is going around visiting "ley line" circles in the Black Forest area.  Little do they know their tour guide has other ideas, as he is an ancient fae who traps them all in another realm, where they must deal with creatures loosely based on the characters of fairy tales.  Somewhat bloody shenanigans ensue.

This is the kind of movie The Asylum is trying to make, but can't quite seem to do.  The acting isn't great, the cinematography is direct-to-video style, and the gore is mostly tepid at best.  On the other hand, it at least has a plot, and sort of makes sense on occasion, so it gets...eh, a D+.

Best part of the movie?  The end credits.  And I don't mean that to be funny...they sped up the credits of the movie to fit into 40 seconds.  I've never seen that done outside of showing a movie on TV, and dammit, more movies need to do that.  They know we have pause buttons, we can stop it at any time and read names.

[Edward J Grug III]

Only Lovers Left Alive - It has been a long time since I hated a movie this much. What a snooze.

[ScottotD]

3. The Visitors.  From the guy who made House of the Devil, very slow going but interesting

4. Hostel. First time seeing it, I didn't like any of the characters so was pretty indifferent to their pain because I never got fully absorbed into it.

[Edward J Grug III]

3. The Visitors.  From the guy who made House of the Devil, very slow going but interesting

Ti West doesn't have a movie called The Visitors? Or is there another House of the Devil?

[Johnny Unusual]

Yeah, the big movies he made after were the Sacrament and The Innkeepers.  I checked out other movies with that name and i found a Scandinavian film, a crime film and an alternate title for Extraterrestial (which I hear is bad).

Anyway, I watched The Last Slumber Party (rifftrax) and Manos (MST3k).

Tonight I'll be watching the 1986 House.  I had a rough day so I need a pick me up.