Seen and not seen's, recommendations and queries on top films in general.

[bitewerksMTB]

The trailer I saw for SHAME looked awful. I'll probably rent it. Got some coupons for rent one, get one for free.

ELITE SQUAD: THE ENEMY WITHIN is pretty good. I don't remember much from the first film other than the violence & the 2ns film had plenty of it too.

[tiny_tove]

Shame - Not bad, but he seems to repeat many moments of the previous movie. The doom version of "Singing in the rain" is classic.

What "previous movie" are you speaking of? I hated his boss and his dumb sister. I wish they would have just had them fuck instead of making it awkward all the time making you wonder if they actually have fucked before. I know that was the purpose, but forget mystery I just wanted to know if he nailed her.

I am watching a 2005 documentary called Gay Sex In The 70's by Joseph Lovett. I'm not finished with it, maybe about 1/3 of the way through and already there has been some archival footage from gloryholes, dark rooms and bath house's which is pretty much what the movie is focused on; anonymous sex that eventually became almost obsolete with the emergence of AIDS in the 80's. Using old footage of these dives and discos, as well as interviewing the faggots who were there and letting them describe what went on in some of those joints before the queens became scared of infection. There is also a bit on the Stonewall Riots of 1969.

I am using shitload of samples from that!!!

regarding shame, I was talking about Hunger

[tiny_tove]

Oh ok, I thought he was saying that Shame was a remake, or something similar like a sequel, of another movie. I don't remember a whole lot from Hunger other than some Irish guys going on a hunger strike while imprisoned. I'll have to watch it again to see how many moments from it are similar or, as tove said, "repeated" to those in Shame.

well it follows the same structure somehow...
same waits, same silences...

or at least I think so ;)

[ConcreteMascara]

I guess I was in the minority because I really liked Shame. To each his own I guess. Plus I havent seen Hunger...

The past two weeks I've been watching a horror movie a night to unwind. So Hellraiser for the first time last night and I have to say I was totally let down. I just felt it was really bad in all departments. And I love b-horror movies with dubious acting, but I guess this felt like everyone was trying too hard.

On a positive note I saw Dont Torture a Duckling for the first time and thought it was great. Murderous priests are always a plus as is the Italian countryside. More like this please!

[WATERPOWER]

The past two weeks I've been watching a horror movie a night to unwind. So Hellraiser for the first time last night and I have to say I was totally let down. I just felt it was really bad in all departments. And I love b-horror movies with dubious acting, but I guess this felt like everyone was trying too hard.

I don't think it's the kind of movie you go into with any sort of expectations. I don't know if I'd call it a b-movie, either. It's not cheesy, and it's not overbearingly serious. This is of course coming from a pretty hardcore Barker fanboy. I had recently watched Hellseeker and was pleasantly surprised. To me it followed more along what the book was, where the cenobites aren't even given names (Pinhead, etc.). Focuses more on the main character seeking other dimensional pleasures. I don't even think Pinhead appears more than a small handful of times until the end.

I think the best representation of the whole Faustian puzzle solving (whether it's what Barker was thinking or not) comes from the old Marvel comics, where you once again get more of the characters and their desires than straight up here's a cenobite now and he's taking you to hell.

[ConcreteMascara]

I guess I'll have to check out Hellseeker.

Just a minor point of clarification on my part: I didn't mean to imply Hellraiser was a b-movie or close to it, I saw it as closer to an a-movie or whatever, but just that by comparison I prefer some of the acting I've seen in true b-movies compared to what's in Hellraiser. But I was also just in a foul mood last night as a result of food poisoning so maybe I should watch it again when I'm not close to death myself.

[P-K]

budget for the first Hellraiser was very low from what i've read.

a classic :-)   great ost too ;-)

[locustfurnace]

budget for the first Hellraiser was very low from what i've read.

a classic :-)   great ost too ;-)

It's budget was $1,000,000 at the time (1987). The whole franchise is getting the Hollywood remake/reimaging treatment with a release date for 2013....hopefully the Mayans are right :)

[WATERPOWER]

budget for the first Hellraiser was very low from what i've read.

a classic :-)   great ost too ;-)

It's budget was $1,000,000 at the time (1987). The whole franchise is getting the Hollywood remake/reimaging treatment with a release date for 2013....hopefully the Mayans are right :)

From what I've read, Barker is no long in support at all of the remake, esp. after how Dimension went about acquiring the rights (Revelations), which of course, Doug Bradley refused to be a part of, due to the incredibly small compensation he was to be given. Not to beat the dead horse on comics, but the recent BOOM! series that Barker has actually participated in is quite good. Digs more into the Cenobites while picking up where Hellraiser II leaves off. I think it's on 13? and so far it's entertaining. From that aspect though, it's good for turning your brain off, as it mostly focuses on gore, chains, etc. The whole premise becomes that Pinhead and Kristy Cotton change places so Pinhead can try to get into heaven. Can't say it's for anyone, but for a fanboy like myself, it's pretty cool to see (and more so to look forward to once a month or so).

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Contagion was something actually rented on DVD. Theoretically, global desaster / disease movies could be good, but if we rule out few cases like "28 days later", what are the good ones? Contagion tells a story of huge death toll bat/swine flu killing millions, yet it leaps in short episodes where story is told - yet in my opinion very poorly. Movie is watchable, but hardly too memorable.
Of course it is better than... was it "Happening"? Which was Mark Wahlberg running around looking worried and there's absolutely nothing.

Taking of that horrible actor: Tried to watch The Big Hit - some sort of action comedy with Mark Wahlberg - and I guess that says it all. Had to quit before middle of movie. Life too short for this. I don't know is it me or has movie selection of TV channels gone real low? Or maybe I should check the newspaper what actually goes on TV, but hardly watch it anyways.

[bitewerksMTB]

Recently saw GOD BLESS AMERICA, SHAME, & MOTHER'S DAY (2010). Didn't think much of any of them. M.D. is based on the '80s film characters but it's basically a home invasion film (I don't remember too much from the orig other than the rape game on the park bench). SHAME was bad melodrama & G.B.A. is just dumb.

[RyanWreck]

Theoretically, global desaster / disease movies could be good, but if we rule out few cases like "28 days later", what are the good ones?

Way too many shitty dystopian flicks. As far as more modern movies I liked Children of Men a whole lot and Serenity was meh. Classics like the Mad Max series, The Omega Man, Brazil and Delicatessen set the bar pretty high though. Would Clockwork Orange be considered a dystopian film?

[WATERPOWER]

USSR made good ones. Very depressing.

[bitewerksMTB]

Looked up 'dystopian films'; haven't really paid attention to the subject here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Dystopian_films

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is listed & I was going to suggest DAMNATION ALLEY (campy). TURKEY SHOOT is listed & that's a great film!

[Nyodene D]

Mikko, the 1990s Dustin Hoffman flick "Outbreak" is always a good choice. A decent documentary on Ebola is always welcome.