Recent Viewings, Part 2

[FatFreddysCat]

"Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland" (1989)
Pamela Springsteen is back for one more round as the perpetually dorky, gender-confused slasher Angela, running around the woods killing off a fresh batch of counselors at yet another summer camp. Pointless and silly.

[Rev. Powell]

WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (2018): The Blackwoods--an ailing uncle and his two shy daughters--live in a manor overlooking a New England town, shunned by the townsfolk for a dark scandal in the past. Solid, straightforward adaptation of the twisted Shirley Jackson novel. On Netflix. 3.5/5

We Have Always Lived In The Castle is my favorite piece of SHIRLEY JACKSON's writing.  

Mine is the Haunting of Hill House- because I read it when I was 10 years old. I still think this is the scariest novel I ever read in my life.

I haven't read the novel, but I'm guessing you guys wouldn't think this movie adaptation was as good as the book. My rating is for someone going in blind. You should still check it out if you can.

[indianasmith]

LIFECHANGER - A shapeshifting entity moves from one body to another, killing humans in order to assume their form, but then he falls in love with a woman and pursues her through several consecutive bodies, as his host forms are lasting less and less time with age.  Cool concept, but I was so tired I didn't get much out of it. 3/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019)

Sarah Connor and a warrior woman from the future team up to protect a young Mexican girl (who as usual is Humanity's Only Hope) from the latest shape shifting Terminator model. Arnold Schwarzenegger turns up as a geriatric prior model "T," lots of things crash and explode, but in spite of all that I was still bored stiff after about an hour. This was a slog.

I think we can officially stick a fork in the Terminator franchise, it's done. Well, actually it was done at least two movies ago, but maybe they'll get the message now, cuz this one tanked at the box office and lost a metric sh*t ton of money...

(Do I need to say it?)
AVOID.

[Allhallowsday]

How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?

Of course everybody knows THE HAUNTING which is a superb adaptation of SHIRLEY JACKSON's novel.  I think there's a short story for TV adaptation of The Lottery which was the story that made her famous... 

Here it is I think :

http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y 

[Rev. Powell]

SHINING SEX (1975): A pair of swingers invite a stripper back to their apartment for a threesome, then possess her in order to... well, I never really figured that part out. Luscious starlet Lina Romay and her steamy, mostly lesbian sex scenes (which go right to the border of hardcore) are clearly the attraction here, and the wraparound story is... strange, and slow, and interruptive. I don't really know how to rate this, but I'll settle on a 2.5/5.

[RCMerchant]

How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?

Of course everybody knows THE HAUNTING which is a superb adaptation of SHIRLEY JACKSON's novel.  I think there's a short story for TV adaptation of The Lottery which was the story that made her famous... 

Here it is I think :

http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y 

I looked it up...there are actually versions from 1950, '51, '60, '69, '96, '07, and '08!

[Allhallowsday]

How many Shirley Jackson film adaptions are there?

Of course everybody knows THE HAUNTING which is a superb adaptation of SHIRLEY JACKSON's novel.  I think there's a short story for TV adaptation of The Lottery which was the story that made her famous... 
Here it is I think :
http://youtu.be/vQQoMCaUz5Y 

I looked it up...there are actually versions from 1950, '51, '60, '69, '96, '07, and '08!

I think what you're seeing are episodes titled "The Lottery" from various TV shows that are not adaptations of JACKSON's story. 

[RCMerchant]

^ No- they ARE adaptions. It's on Shirley Jackson's imdb listings.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/

[Dr. Whom]

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

This is basically Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers, or perhaps more accurately the experience of playing a computer game, and getting to higher and higher levels as you gain experience, before you inevitably die. That being said, it is entertaining enough. The basic premise makes just enough sense to carry you along and the films knows its strengths and sticks to those. It is about defeating the aliens and very little else. Even the inevitable love story barely gets any screen time. Perfect if you are in the mood for a well made action/heist type movie with aliens and things exploding. The actors don't have much to do, but Tom Cruise was very convincing as a smug bastard in the beginning. He should play more bad guys.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Never Hike in the Snow" (2020)
The search for a missing hiker leads a sheriff's deputy into a cold-weather encounter with Jason Voorhees in the wintry ruins of Camp Crystal Lake.
This cool, well made half hour fan film is a worthy follow up to  2017's impressive "Never Hike Alone." Viewable for free on YouTube.

[Rev. Powell]

SYNCHRONIC (2020): New Orleans paramedics discover that a series of bizarre deaths are linked to a new designer drug called "synchronic." I really liked the characters and setup, but the problem is that when the sci-fi twist arrives, it's basic and contrived, not bizarre enough to compensate for its unbelievability. 2.5/5.

[Allhallowsday]

^ No- they ARE adaptions. It's on Shirley Jackson's imdb listings.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0414047/

Right you are!  I hope you can look at the 18 minute I posted; it's good!

[FatFreddysCat]

"Stepfather 2: Make Room For Daddy!" (1989)
The psycho Dad (Terry O'Quinn) escapes from the looney bin, adopts yet another new identity, and starts over with his efforts to build the perfect All American family, in a new town with yet another lonely divorcee. Once again, it doesn't end very well.
O'Quinn is great in this entertainingly silly, ultra-violent sequel that tweaks the original's premise just enough to keep it from being a complete retread. Unfortunately, he didn't come back for the third installment, which I have yet to see.

[Rev. Powell]

TAMMY AND THE T-REX (1994): Mad scientists transfer Tammy's boyfriend's brain into a t-rex. This has a real "USA Up All Night" vibe. Unpretentiously self-aware monster comedy. Wow, was Denise Richards hot! Hard to defend on any filmmaking or artistic level, but it's an easy watch and kind of fun. 3/5.