Recent Viewings, Part 2

[M.10rda]

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR (1936):
This is a very short silent Poe adaptation that reminds me of the first couple of primitive 16mm b+w projects I made as a Freshman film student in the mid-90s....... primarily in how this film (like my own) gratuitously utilizes one redundant shock/reaction shot/CU after another during its climax, 'cause the filmmakers paid good money for those reasonably exposed and in-focus takes, so darn it they're gonna' get their money's worth and use 'em! (That was my philosophy, at least.)

I'd barely bother even discussing this except for its historical significance... other than the famous eyeball shot (of uncertain/uneasy provenance) from UN CHIEN ANDALOU, VALDEMAR now takes the cake as the earliest film I can think of to boast legitimate "gore" FX. At its climax, the title character deteriorates (melts, really) in a quite fabulously gooey fashion, which probably would look more or less the same fifty years later if orchestrated by some teens in their garage with karo syrup, chunks of old BBQ ribs, and granddad's dentures. It's impressive and noteworthy, even if the rest of the film is barely an event.

3/5
I never watched Dwain Esper's MANIAC - any actual "gore" in that one?

[Rev. Powell]

I never watched Dwain Esper's MANIAC - any actual "gore" in that one?

No, lots of violence but nothing you could call "gore." A guy eats an eyeball ("not unlike a grape"). But it's not bloody or anything, it's clearly an unsophisticated prop.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Jack-O" (1995)
On Halloween night, drunk teens disturb the resting place of "The Pumpkin Man," a murderous demon who goes on a rampage in a small town.
This extremely low budget knock-off of "Pumpkinhead" has a cool looking monster but everything else about the movie (script, acting, FX) is strictly amateur night. AVOID unless you have an extremely high tolerance for Z-movie pain.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Batman: Year One" (2011)
Young Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham after years of "studying abroad" and begins his nocturnal campaign against crime. Meanwhile, an idealistic cop named James Gordon joins the Gotham P.D. and is appalled at the amount of corruption in its ranks.
Cool animated adaptation of the classic 1987 comic mini-series by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli, with plenty of action and great voice work by Bryan "Breaking Bad" Cranston as Gordon and Eliza "Buffy" Dushku as Catwoman.

[M.10rda]

THE BOOGEYMAN (2023):
I've been trying to watch spooky movies for Halloween for almost six weeks now and most of those selections have been pre-1970 B+W flicks and I'm barely batting a .500 in terms of quality. Last night I "let" Madame 10rda pick two movies (okay, I could scarcely stop her) and both were recent films I'd either only heard of or (in this case) was totally unaware of, and both were winners. Obviously Madame is more in touch with the modern horror canon than I am!

Additional evidence towards my being Out-Of-Touch: THE BOOGEYMAN was directed by the guy who directed HOST, that pandemic-era Zoom-based ghost thriller that I remember being inspired and a good time, even though it seems like no one around here liked it; and no one on Letterboxd seems to like THE BOOGEYMAN either. I dunno. Lots of people loved HEREDITARY and liked the new NOSFERATU and some even liked THE STRANGERS CHAPTER 1, so to each their own!

This BOOGEYMAN doesn't appear connected in any way to the early 80s BOOGEYM(E)N nor the mid-00s reboots; instead it's based on the Stephen King story from Night Shift, which creeped me the heck out as a kid and probably still would. The first scene is directly based or adapted from King, and then the influence persists for about 15 minutes, but then after that it spins off in its own direction from the source material. That's how I prefer my King adaptations to work, frankly.

Some of the dialogue in THE BOOGEYMAN rings a bit hollow (though much of it is fine) and, as in most horror movies, characters sometimes act irrationally or do less-than-smart stuff. In other words, THE BOOGEYMAN's screenplay could be better, though it isn't a deal-breaker. Much more importantly, THE BOOGEYMAN has terrific lighting, cinematography, editing, and sound design, and solid acting all around. As it often turns out, these elements are the foundation for suspense and terror in a Horror movie! But I'll go one better and say that the writers, though they aren't the most eloquent or logical, do a boffo job contriving one imaginative scenario after another to put characters in dark places and then spook (or full-out hector) the viewer. Many horror films have handled grief and mental illness more profoundly than this one, but THE BOOGEYMAN actually delivers a large satisfying package of The Goods... like THE BABADOOK only exciting and scary.

4/5 It hit the spot!

[indianasmith]

PIGLET (2025) - This one popped up on my Prime recommendations last night, so I decided to give it a go.
Basically, a group of friends rent a cabin at an old summer camp to celebrate a birthday in the group, and they run afoul of a giant, human/pig hybrid serial killer. Blood and gore ensue, with little in the way of exposition.
It's basically a slasher flick with a guy in a pig costume, in no way related to the "WINNIE THE POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY" franchise.   Moderately entertaining; could have been better. 3/5

[FatFreddysCat]

"Batman and Harley Quinn" (2017)
Batman and Nightwing reluctantly recruit Harley Quinn -- who's been half-heartedly trying to go straight -- to help them find her former BFF Poison Ivy, who's teamed up with the Fluoronic Man to unleash a lethal plant virus. Much butt kicking and wise cracking ensues.
This fast, funny animated action flick is drawn in the style of the classic early 90s Batman animated series, but the PG-13 rating lets them get away with some risque' jokes and situations that wouldn't have flown on the old show. I've seen lots of these animated Bat-movies over the years, and this is one of my favorites.

[lester1/2jr]

Psycho (1960) - I hadn't seen this in decades and had forgotten a lot. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates is probably the best casting decision since Bela Lugosi as Dracula. It's essentially a film noir, police procedural sort of thing. There aren't the levels of mystery and intrigue you'd expect with Hitchcock. Well, it would be a film noir if not for the murder scenes, which transform it from crime story to horror movie. Between this and The Birds, Hitchcock can lay claim to a solid chunk of today's horror formuli.

5/5

[zombie no.one]

I try not to overwatch PSYCHO. maybe once every 5 yrs? the scene with nervous Bates and the police guy questioning him / sussing him out is some of my fav acting ever.

[M.10rda]

HERETIC (2024):
Cheers to Madame, as this was her second pick for our Friday night double-feature, following THE BOOGEYMAN. Like that film, HERETIC co-stars Sophie Thatcher from COMPANION and "Yellowjackets", and also like BOOGEYMAN, HERETIC appears to receive mostly derision on Letterboxd. I dunno what those reviewers were expecting when they watched this, but fortunately for me I was expecting nothing specifically, as I was only vaguely aware of HERETIC's existence. Perhaps as a result, I was similarly delighted by HERETIC as I was by the completely unassuming BOOGEYMAN.

Two young female Mormon missionaries knock on the door of a remote cottage in the chilly hills of (I'm guessing) Vancouver. Cherubic sexagenarian Hugh Grant opens that door and invites the young ladies in for blueberry pie. Almost immediately the missionaries (and the viewer) would be justified in thinking that Grant is some kind of sinister sex creep. Indeed he may be - but the grand strategy dictating his designs on these girls is far more elliptical, labyrinthine, and occult in at least one connotation of the term. HERETIC is almost two hours long and could have (almost) been a play, as it is primarily dialogue-driven and rarely departs from Grant's home. It's well-written, often surprising, and (imho) quite thought-provoking. And it is a Horror movie - a very 2024/2025 horror movie, which is to say timely and timeless, as IRL we still seem to be endlessly litigating the same old boogeymen from 80 or 800 years ago. 

This movie earned Grant a Best Actor nomination last year from the BAFTAs (British Oscar), the Critics Choice awards, and the Golden Globes. I don't pay any attention to the Oscars anymore either but his work seems sturdy enough to have justified an American Academy Award nom, too. Even in a film with two compelling female performances in thoughtful roles, Grant is almost a one-man show. He cleaves a fine hair here, appearing diabolically credible and persuasive on one hand but also allowing for moments of transparent doubt or infirmity. And he gets lots of opportunities to be funny - broadly, irreverently funny like 90s Christopher Walken. Actually it's easy to imagine HERETIC being written some years back with Walken in mind, and fun to speculate what other offbeat candidates read this script and passed on it (Will Ferrell? John Cena? Liam Neeson? ) before it landed in Grant's lap. I think Grant was the right guy for the role.

4/5 Possibly my favorite Grant film since LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM! 

[lester1/2jr]

Razortooth (2007)- Ridiculous but okay animals attack movie about a huge genetically altered eel that terrorizes a Florida swamp. Actually, it more than terrorizes it, it kills like 11 people. Lots of hillbilly stereotypes and two escaped prisoners that the movie forgets about for like a day and a half.

One thing it really lacks is any sort of diversion from the swamp area. Half the fun of these things is the slice of life aspect and pointless sub plots. Animal attacks movies are, after all, essentially a disaster variant. The male lead does a decent enough job as a rising to the occasion animal control guy and his female co lead/ love interest looks enough like Lynda Carter for it to be remarkable.

Before I started watching this I passed on Alligator Alley, which was the same thing but in Louisiana and I almost turned this off at one point. Am I glad I stuck with this one? I don't know. Who knows? Who cares?

3.99/5