Viewing Journal: 10/31/2014

508) RITUALS
(1977 dir. Peter Carter) Date Seen: October 31 2014

507) BEDLAM
(1946 dir. Mark Robson) Date Seen: October 31 2014

 

Viewing Journal: 10/30/2014

506) 7 DEATHS IN THE CAT'S EYE
(1973 dir. Antonio Margheriti) Date Seen: October 30 2014

505) THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M
(1959 dir. Fernando Méndez) Date Seen: October 30 2014

 

Viewing Journal: 10/29/2014

504) ROCKS IN MY POCKETS
(2014 dir. Signe Baumane) Date Seen: October 29 2014

One of the best films I've ever seen on the topic of mental health.

503) ALMOST HUMAN
(2014 dir. Joe Begos) Date Seen: October 29 2014

502) GALAXY OF TERROR
(1981 dir. Bruce D. Clark) Date Seen: October 29 2014

501) SUSPIRIA 
(1977 dir. Dario Argento) 4th Viewing: October 29 2014

Viewing Journal: 10/28/2014

500) WHIPLASH
(2014 dir. Damien Chazelle) Date Seen: October 28 2014

499) DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS. DEAD
(2014 dir. Tommy Wirkola) Date Seen: October 28 2014

498) DOLPHIN TALE 2
(2014 dir. Charles Martin Smith) Date Seen: October 28 2014

Viewing Journal: 10/27/2014

497) ABCs OF DEATH 2
(2014 dir. lots of people) Date Seen: October 27 2014

individual segments: (favorites highlighted red)  

• E.L. Katz's "A is for Amateur"                                        **1/2
• Julian Barratt's "B is for Badger"                                       **
• Julian Gilbey's "C is for Capital Punishment"                   **
• Robert Morgan's "D is for Deloused"                              ****1/2
• Alejandro Brugués' "E is for Equilibrium"                         **
• Aharon Keshales' "F is for Falling"                                    **1/2
• Jim Hosking's "G is for Grandad"                                     **
• Bill Plympton's "H is for Head Games"                            ***
• Erik Matti's "I is for Invincible"                                        *** 
• Dennison Ramalho's "J is for Jesus"                                  **1/2
• Kristina Buozyte's "K is for Knell"                                   ****
• Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen's "L is for Legacy"                    **
• Robert Boocheck's "M is for Masticate"                            **
• Larry Fessenden's "N is for Nexus"                                   *** 
• Hajime Ohata's "O is for Ochlocracy"                               ***1/2
• Todd Rohal's "P is for P P P P Scary"                                 ***
• Rodney Ascher's "Q is for Questionnaire"                         **
• Marvin Kren's "R is for Roulette"                                      **1/2
• Juan Martínez Moreno's "S is for Split"                             **1/2
• Sylvia & Jen Soska's "T is for Torture Porn"                         *1/2
• Vincenzo Natali's "U is for Utopia"                                    **
• Jerome Sable's "V is for Vacation"                                      *
• Steven Kostanski's "W is for Wish"                                     **1/2
• Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo's "X is for Xylophone"                 **
• Sôichi Umezawa's "Y is for Youth"                                     ***
• Chris Nash's "Z is for Zygote"                                           ****

496) THE GOOD LIE
(2014 dir. Philippe Falardeau) Date Seen: October 27 2014

495) HOMECOMING
(2005 dir. Joe Dante) Date Seen: October 27 2014

[the Masters of Horror collection]

Viewing Journal: 10/26/2014

494) OUIJA
(2014 dir. Stiles White) Date Seen: October 26 2014

every time I play on my Ouija board, the spirits always just tell me to "stop farting." very different scenario from what this film depicts.

493) THE BABADOOK
(2014 dir. Jennifer Kent) Date Seen: October 26 2014

492) YOUNG ONES
(2014 dir. Jake Paltrow) Date Seen: October 26 2014

Viewing Journal: 10/25/2014

491) V/H/S VIRAL
(2014 dir. lots of dudes) Date Seen: October 25 2014

individual segments: (favorites highlighted red) 

• Marcel Sarmiento's "Vicious Circles"                            *1/2
• Gregg Bishop's "Dante the Great"                                  *1/2
• Nacho Vigalondo's "Parallel Monsters"                        ***1/2
• Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson's "Bonestorm"        ***

In terms of quality, this is the most lopsided V/H/S yet.. That's the potentially frustrating thing about horror anthologies; they can be such mixed bags. All you can really do is just hope for some good variety in the setups and a few bloody kills. Not even sure why Magnet released this thing yet as it does not feel complete. A segment (or two) were even axed last minute before its release. 

And I cannot believe how scatter-brained and un-scary the main connecting frame-narrative is by Marcel Sarmiento. He was responsible for my favorite short film of last year; D IS FOR DOGFIGHT. I'm really hoping that wasn't some kind of artistic fluke.

490) STRAY DOGS
(2014 dir. Tsai Ming-liang) Date Seen: October 25 2014

 

Also: 

*Looney Tunes via Seurat*

New banner image for this blog is now up! A composite I threw together of Bugs, Daffy, & Elmer within Un Dimanche Après-midi à l'Île De La Grande Jatte..

(homage to that scene from Joe Dante’s brilliant LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION 2003)

Viewing Journal: 10/24/2014

489) JOHN WICK
(2014 dir. Leitch/Stahelski) Date Seen: October 24 2014

"I'm gonna slap ya in the mouth; with my Wick.. Kapeesh?"

488) EXISTS
(2014 dir. Eduardo Sanchez) Date Seen: October 24 2014

The 2nd Samsquanch found-footage horror I've seen this year, and just as much of a missed opportunity as the other was. Where Bobcat Goldthwait's WILLOW CREEK had some decent tension building courtesy of its sound design, this film goes ape-shit with visually depicting encounters with beasts; and jettisons most of its ambiance in the process. Doesn't ol' Bigfoot deserve better portrayal than these & HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS? 

"Couldn't be a man in a gorilla suit, no fucking way, no, you know he's real."

487) MASSACRE TIME
(1966 dir. Lucio Fulci) Date Seen: October 24 2014

Viewing Journal: 10/22/2014

484) DARK TOUCH
(2013 dir. Marina de Van) Date Seen: October 22 2014

483) CANOPY
(2014 dir. Aaron Wilson) Date Seen: October 22 2014