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

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 "Tortellini on the Weenie." very different scenario from what this film depicts. (reminds me i still need to see WITCHBOARD 1986)

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