#halloween (1978) and halloween (2018) are perfect and i love them

[bearfeathers]

no but the way halloween (2018) restores to michael myers the identity of the shape and the boogeyman is just 🤌

[goddesspharo]

top five fic titles you haven't used yet; top five worst adaptations or reboots

ask me my top fives!

top five unused fic titles:

click the pieces into sharp arrangements

what would an angel say? (the devil wants to know)

memories are films about ghosts

searching through thrift store jungles

your stories ring of perjury

top five worst adaptations/reboots(/remakes):

Going with the first few things that pop into my head.

 I think most reboots/remakes of horror movies from the 80s are bad and unnecessary. Sometimes it’s because the original isn’t great - Prom Night (1980) is not my jam; Prom Night (2008) is somehow worse! Sometimes it’s because the original is good enough that it doesn’t need a remake, especially one so subpar - Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976) vs Carrie (2013); Black Christmas (1974) is great so what the hell happened with Black Christmas (2006, 2019)? And sometimes it’s because certain movies really work for that decade and either don’t translate to a modern day setting or there’s nothing that putting it in a modern day setting will add to the story - John Carpenter’s original Halloween (1978) works because it’s so atmospheric and he knew how to light a movie so you could actually SEE what was happening; Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007) is so terrible in so many ways, but mostly because I don’t need or care about Michael Myers’ tragic backstory; David Gordon Green’s Halloween (2018) reboot/remake trilogy thing said nothing new but annoyed me plenty AND killed off Judy Greer AND I couldn’t see shit so what was the point? Horror remakes: just don’t do them. 

Almost every time they take an animated Disney movie and turn it into an uninspired live action and/or photorealistic live action movie, I’m not into it. It’s never as vibrant, it’s never as fun, sometimes they miscast SO badly (sorry Emma Watson) - use your Disney+ subscription to watch 2D animation like the universe intended. The Lion King animated movie is gorgeous; The Lion King photorealistic movie looks like mud.

I’m not saying that the original Gossip Girl on the CW was a work of art (I’m not saying the first season was not a work of art either though), but it wasn’t as boring as the HBOMax reboot. Truly, no one was likable on that show and they made Luke Kirby a creep! No one asked for this!

Long before we had Marvel/superhero fatigue, 20th Century Fox made the first X-men movie with the positively inspired casting choices of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellan and I loved it! Even X2 was fun. (X3 went off the rails and was bad.) Ten years later and a solo Wolverine movie in between, they decided to soft reboot the franchise with those First Class movies and you know what? They shouldn’t have. Except for one or two moments here and there, those movies are all pretty awful. I’m not sure how you can mess up the Days of Future Past storyline that badly or cast Oscar Isaac only to make him a member of the blue man group, but they should all be ashamed. I still maintain that the most worthwhile X-Men adaptation in media is the animated series from the 90s.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a soft reboot but when Fox brought The X-Files back in 2016, it was a lesson in “be careful what you wish for because it’s going to suck.” Except I didn’t wish for this because I watched the second movie and it sucked so I was completely fine with never getting more new episodes again. What we got was Scully whispering a lot, some half-assed search for William that I was not invested in (they spent nine seasons denying Mulder and Scully had boned even after she had his damn kid!), and monsters of the week episodes that were so uninspired that I didn’t even watch the second season of the reboot (maybe didn’t finish the first season of the reboot?). And now there’s talk of a Jordan Peele remake of the show to which I say - find something else. The (OG) X-Files worked because it was the perfect place in the perfect time with the perfect people and you’re never going to trap that lightning in a bottle twice so why try?

[kinetic-elaboration]

February 18: Ranking Halloweens

Have done literally nothing today so, some more on Halloween.

Now that I've watched all 13 and thought about them some more, and let my opinions sort of settle in my mind, I have some overall thoughts about which are the best and worst, and generally how I would rank them.

Outside of the best and worst, ranking is really hard because they're so different, they cover such a long time span, and each one is so very much a product of its time. Most of the Halloween movies I think work best in their context: both the context of horror at the time they were made and the context of the franchise as a whole. Some of them might not be good movies particularly, but they are interesting as time capsules or as part of the overall progression of the franchise.

In other words, there are clear best and worst entries, in my opinion, but not a clear 1-13 or even 1-12 ranking, if you're just including the Myers-Halloweens.

The Best:

Halloween (1978): No explanation needed. Even the best of the subsequent films just proved that the original is deceptively simple, basically a perfect slasher horror film.

Halloween: H20: Not a controversial opinion as far as I can tell. I loved that this film was not afraid to lose some of the 'fundamental Halloween elements,' like Loomis or Haddonfield, because it still understood the franchise enough to feel like a Halloween film in some x-factor way. This is the best interpretation of Laurie after 1978 (/1981 I guess), and it's also just honestly a fun film to watch on its own.

Halloween (2018): I'm a little uncertain of putting this as my #3 because I do have mixed feelings about it in some ways. Maybe I'm ranking it high because it's a competent horror film in the 'modern' (current) horror style. I do have criticisms of it but I think it was effective overall.

Halloween III: Spirit of the Witch: This isn't really #4, it's more of an unranked entry, because I really don't think I can compare a non-Myers Halloweens to the others. But it was one of my overall favorites, especially upon some reflection. People who consider it the worst or one of the worst are just mad it's not a slasher. Seen on its own terms--a weird 80s sci-fi horror--it's quite interesting and effective.

The Worst:

Halloween Ends: I might push this down to second-worst upon some more reflection or a re-watch but I'm still big-mad about this. In a way, I'm glad it was made because it helps me reflect on what defines a Halloween franchise movie. I felt viscerally that this wasn't it, but I need to think more about precisely why. At any rate, ending ("ending") the franchise with a movie that is so depressing, so lacking in scares of any sort, and so lacking in the pivotal franchise lead, leaves me with a terribly bad taste.

Halloween: Resurrection: Not scary, rarely funny, no memorable characters, and a scream queen whose screams had to be re-dubbed. The best thing about this is how VERY 2002 it is. It's interesting to see this mashup of millennium-era movie tropes with Halloween-franchise elements. But is it a good film? No. Not really in any respect.

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers: The pinnacle of cliche, bloated, slasher stereotype horror. Unnecessarily muddled lore and the introduction of weird and out-of-place elements. A film that understood that the franchise was becoming just another series of generic slasher entries, but tried to solve that problem with elements from other types of horror--cult, sci-fi--that simply did not fit. Full of characters I care nothing about. Terrible to Jamie Lloyd.

The middle:

I think of the other films--Halloween II, Halloween 4, Halloween 5, Halloween 2007, Halloween II 2009, and Halloween Kills--I liked Halloweens 4 and 5 the best. I look back on them the most fondly. They do that suburban-Halloween aesthetic probably the best of all the sequels, and give the best overall sense of Haddonfield as a community. I really do have a fondness for Jamie. And their biggest flaws are that they are sort of generic-80s-slashers. But it's not the 80s anymore, and so even that gives them a sort of... retro-sheen.

I can see why people often rank Halloween II very high, because it's probably the most similar to Halloween I. But I still find it a sharp drop off, too sequel-y, too full of more: more blood, more kills, more sex. It is all right. But I just can't love it.

The Rob Zombie Halloweens... I really don't know what else to say about them other than they are exactly what you would expect if you put Rob Zombie and Halloween together. I didn't hate them. But I felt like a lot of 2007 was pretty useless and 2009...got points in my book for at least being unique, but was also...meh, kind of weird and had too many mommy issues.

Halloween Kills was okay but I think again it was just rather unimportant. I watched it a couple of weeks ago and it's mostly disappeared from my memory already. I think I would have to watch it again/think about it some more before I can really come up with an opinion because mostly I feel ambivalence.

[dead-weird]

❤️‍🔥50 Essential Horror Movies ❤️‍🔥

1.       10 Cloverfield Lane – 2016 It’s not often a sequel is better than its predecessor. But this film is one of the most anxiety-inducing pieces of cinema, that somehow manages to make John Goodman scary.

2.       A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night – 2014

Everyone’s favourite Persian vampire film.

3.       Alien – 1979 There’s too many reasons why this is a horror classic. It’s completely perfect.

4.       American Mary – 2012 I’ve got massive respect for the Soska Sisters. This film is them to a T.

5.       Annihilation – 2018 I love everything Alex Garland does. So when I say that this is my favourite creation of his, it means something. Part 1 of the Natalie Portman Body Horror Double Feature.

6.       Apocalypto – 2006 Although not technically a horror film, there is a lot to learn here about true fear.

7.       A Quiet Place – 2018 A movie without any (or barely any) dialogue that made people appreciate how much of horror comes from sound.

8.       Audition – 1999 J-Horror classic that suits a lover of slow-paced arthouse body horror.

9.       Black Swan – 2010 Part 2 of the Natalie Portman Body Horror Double Feature.

10.   The Blood on Satan’s Claw – 1971 Folk horror has been having a revival for the past few years, and this film showcases its British roots.

11.   The Cabinet of Dr Caligari – 1920 One of the first horror movies. The scenery, the expressions, the cinematography – it will teach you so much.

12.   Candyman – 1992 The sauvest ghoul who ever graced screens.

13.   Carrie – 1976 Stephen King’s first book about the telekinetic teen, who was immortalised on the silver screen by Sissy Spacek.

14.   Christine – 1983 Yeah, so I like Stephen King. Who doesn’t? Christine might be cheesy and bonkers to some, but I used to watch it as a little kid and it’s stuck with me.

15.   The Color Out of Space A modern adaptation of an H.P Lovecraft short story that can help horror fans understand the “rules” (or lack thereof) that surrounds cosmic horror.

16.   Crawl – 2019 The reason for this being on here: it’s hard to find a serious creature feature nowadays. I call this the “Sharknado Effect.” Has anyone else coined that? *quick google search* Yes, they have. Still stands, though.

17.   Cube – 1997 Some horrors are so simplistic, they’re boring. Others are simplistic and still have you on the edge of your seat. This is the later. I rate it above Saw any day.  

18.   A Cure for Wellness – 2016 This film has it all: claustrophobia, dentophobia, and even cheliphobia. 

19.   Duel – 1971 If you think a truck chasing a guy in a car for a whole movie isn’t scary, you’re right it probably isn’t. Unless that movie is Duel.

20.   The Endless The cosmic horror that ticks every box for me – funny, realistic characters; a solid plot; cults; interdimensional beings; spooky shit that makes me wanna cry; time fuckery. I can’t sing its praises enough.

21.   Evil Dead II – 1987 Evil Dead I and Army of Darkness are great, but this one’s my favourite.

22.   The “Fear Street” Trilogy - 2021 Teen horror is good, actually. 

23.   The Fly – 1986 Not only is it horrific, its tragic. The magic combination of a love story, body horror, and Jeff Goldblum. 

24.   Flatliners – 1990

From Joel Schumacher – this film could almost be thriller if it weren’t for the supernatural elements, but deserves a place on this list for a great concept that made a fantastic film.

25.   Frightmare – 1974 Pete Walker is a lesser known British director who made gory exploitation films. Frightmare is like a weird slice of history for me, and that’s why I’m into it.

26.   From Dusk Til Dawn – 1996 Changing the genre of your movie halfway through is a bold move. It totally pays off here.

27.   Ginger Snaps – 2000 Gothic werewolf movie about periods. That’s all you need to know. 

28.   Halloween – 1978 One of the most iconic slasher films.

29.   His House – 2020 Horror is often used as escapism, but some films look into the real world horrors that people face. His House does this with the trauma experienced by refugees.

30.   In the Mouth of Madness – 1994 Part of John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy. Lovecraftian to the core – small New England towns, eldritch beings, doom etc.

31.   Invasion of the Body Snatchers – 1978 The Fly and this film go hand in hand for me – and not just cause they both have Jeff Goldblum.

32.   It – 2017 Everyone was pretty blown away by how good (and well-cast this film was.) The second installment wasn’t as great, but they kept up with the fantastic casting so it’s easily enjoyable still. 

33.   Jennifer’s Body – 2009 This film got a lot of hate that arose from a bad marketing campaign. Luckily, it’s starting to push back against its bad reputation, showing people it’s actually a really good film.

34.   Lamb – 2021 Doing a completely original folk horror (and even horror in general) is hard nowadays, but this Icelandic production managed to do it.

35.   Last Night in Soho – 2021 Edgar Wright’s first non-comedic horror film. Beautiful, gripping and an incredible cast. 

36.   The Love Witch – 2016 Probably unlike any other film you’ll see. 

37.   The Lure – 2015 A horror filled musical with mermaids.

38.   Prevenge – 2016 A pretty unique concept on a whole that director/writer/star, Alice Lowe, conceived and shot while she was pregnant.

39.   Raw – 2016 Everyone’s favourite cannibal film – you had your time, Silence of the Lambs.

40.   Relic – 2020 A terrifying look into our futures through the lens of aging family members.

41.   Ringu – 1998 You can tell something resonates with people when it’s parodied countless times. 

42.   The Ritual – 2017 Realistic characters, sick monster design, great story. Adds a lot to the mid-2010s folk horror boom.

43.   Saint Maud – 2019 Debut feature of Rose Glass. Original, incredible acting, and a VERY impactful final shot. 

44.   Scream – 1996 Just watch it.

45.   Sputnik – 2020 Reviewers try and liken this movie to any other alien sci-fi horror, but it’s concept is way more original than most people give it credit for.

46.   Suspiria – 1977 Italian horror at it’s finest.

47.   The Thing – 1982 Essential sci-fi horror.

48.   Titane – 2021 Julia Ducournau won the Palme D’Or at Cannes Film Festival for this freaky body horror.

49.   Underwater – 2020 Two words: Aquatic Horror.

50.   V/H/S – 2021 This anthology series is worth a watch, especially for “The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger.”

[blaberid]

i (re)watched all the movies in the halloween franchise and these are my THOUGHTS

pretty sure i saw MOST of them during my initial horror phase way back when but in light of my recent re-obsession i had to dive back in...

ranking from best to worst:

1. halloween (1978) 2. halloween kills 3. halloween 5 4. halloween 2 (1981) 5. halloween (2018) 6. halloween h20 7. halloween 4 8. halloween resurrection 9. halloween 6 10-11. the rob zombies get shared last place

HALLOWEEN (1978):

i do subscribe to the theory that the original is always the best but there are times i do like sequels better so my bias towards this movie is sincere i promise.  everything is perfect, from the setting to the soundtrack to the pacing, michael myers is portrayed in this particularly charming way that is never quite fully replicated in any of the following movies. he has an air of complete mystery about him while also possessing plenty of endearing quirks. the cast of supporting characters is great also, and i love that it manages to stay classy and not rely on gore and shock imagery which is also something all the following movies failed to do. truly great.

HALLOWEEN 2 (1981): this is pretty much just the "basic" sequel, playing it safe, and straying into more slasher cliches than its predecessor. it's not a bad movie though and i do enjoy it. michael kept some of his quirkiness but it is fairly noticeable that his charm and quirks are not quite there.

HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (1988):

this one bored me a bit tbh, i'm not terribly fond of the michael myers family plot and all the drama was kinda boring, and also michael's new mask looks like a dollar store knockoff. not to mention laurie unceremoniously getting killed off off-screen. i honestly feel like i need to rewatch it in order to find more to say about it cuz it was just that forgettable but screw that. we're moving on to......

HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1989):

what is he getting revenge for? we just don't know! as foolish as i find the jamie and thorn storylines i ended up loving halloween 5 SO much. like when it opens with michael floating down a river you KNOW you're in for a wild ride. it overflows with 80s aesthetic and campiness and i swear they even inserted actual cartoon sound effects in some scenes. michael myers still looks like a total mess throughout the movie but honestly, for this movie and only this movie, it fits. i also did not mind him showing emotion at some point because i don't actually hate michael showing emotion in itself, i hate it when it is done wrong, and in this movie it was done right, like it did not de-mystify him or take away anything at all. or MAYBE it was just that it added to the overall goofiness of this movie that ended up being so gosh darned charming but whatever it was it was great actually.

halloween movies really haven't been the same since donald pleasence passed cuz he always gave them his 110% sincerity, like?? it’s like he was unironically going for the oscars even in these trashy sequels. his theatrics were especially noticeable in halloween 5 where his character got to interact with tina williams who is the wackiest halloween character ever and my new queen. like you know i'm mostly into halloween because i love the michael myers character but i also LIVE for the scenes with loomis and tina. that fricking contrast. omfg. absolute cinema gold. #addtinawilliamstodeadbydaylight2022

HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1995):

oh boy i really did not like this one. after all that build-up with jamie, they kill her off almost as anticlimactically as laurie, and the rest of the movie is saddled with her child and i just can't deal with it. i find babies so incredibly grating that they're enough to ruin an entire movie for me tbh BUT to be fair this movie also focuses on the thorn plot which i also cannot stand. it really just demystifies michael and does not do the character justice. the producers cut was absolutely demented and while the finalized version makes it a bit more tolerable it's not by a huge margin.

HALLOWEEN H20: 20 YEARS LATER (1998):

rejoice for laurie is back and also the jamie and thorn storylines have been discarded! YAY! unfortunately this movie is pretty dull and focuses more on school life drama, complete with a cast of forgettable teens who would be better fit for “scream”, than michael, and also this is michael's ugliest mask yet. the chase scene among the tables toward the end was fun cuz i was like "hehheh that reminds me of how i used to play with my dog". also the whole thing with how the retconning of this movie's ending was planned? that's just bad movie making. but maybe that's just my opinion.

HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (2002):

so this was SUPPOSED to be a follow-up of the previous movie but the first scene concludes that plotline and laurie and her son are never seen or heard from or relevant again. um... ok. what we get instead is an absolutely insufferable cast of shallow teens with zero redeeming qualities as characters, and michael still has that ugly mask. at least this movie gets the "most creative premise" award i GUESS??? it seems like michael would have a really good time in this setup but he just seemed kind of annoyed throughout the whole movie lmao.

ROB ZOMBIE REMAKES (2007-2008):

i just don't feel like talking about these separately because i hated them SO much!!! before watching all of these movies i read some behind the scenes stuff to get the context of them all, and i actually got hopeful that these remakes wouldn't be as bad as i feared because rob zombie seemed genuinely respectful in how he went about to make the movies (later edit: i ok i caught up with what john carpenter had to say regarding the remakes so scratch the “respectful” part LMAO honestly i could go for an hour long rant about what a douchebag rz allegedly is but that would mean spending more time on rz)... but yeah only a few minutes into the movies i already hated them. look. i like emotional slashers with tragic backstories, but it's not michael. rob zombie might as well have made his own story instead of messing with michael's. like you cannot make a prequel to halloween because it would just be some random ass family’s home videos. there was nothing remarkable about them and nothing in michael’s past that could be singled out as his breaking point and that..... is the point?? yeah??? so yeah i basically really hated how michael was turned into an emo kid and laurie into an edgy bitch lmao like this is LAURIE and the first thing she does walking onto the scene is making some crude joke. COME ON. also it was WAY too graphic and gory and gritty which, again, misses the point and charm of the original. come the frick on.

HALLOWEEN (2018):

perhaps the first movie in a long line of sequels and remakes that i feel like genuinely understood and respected its source material, we are now in the brand new timeline that erases ALL the previous movies except the original. this movie is not one of my favs cuz it focuses more on family drama and michael isn't even in it that much, but it is well made and the story is good, even though it does make a few questionable choices i will not go into cuz whatever.

HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021):

my favorite halloween sequel baby!!!!!!!! i saw this in theaters 8 times! it is a BLAST. it was THE movie that single handedly slam dunked me right back into the horror genre. it shows incredible expertise and appreciation of the original 1978 movie. the 1978 flashbacks are amazing. both the flashback and current masks look fantastic. it is so competent, yet it's not afraid to be fun and campy and honestly michael looks like he's having a BLAST in this movie. they really brought back his charm and quirks and showcase them to the fullest, and a lot of the characters they introduce are fun. LOVE this movie. the perfect sequel. other movies planning to get sequels take note. also my opinion is final and do not listen to critics. this movie is THE BOMB!!!!! (also did you know the movie they’re watching in the scene with the drone is “the funhouse”. it does not really have anything to do with anything but i just think it’s neat cuz it’s probably my fav horror movie BESIDES the halloweens.)

[sexualintimidationdemon]

Day 20

Reflections on: Halloween Kills (2021)

This takes place immediately after Halloween (2018). You should watch that before watching this or you’ll definitely be pretty confused!

John Carpenter’s music was perfect, as always. I got goosebumps after only the first couple of piano and synth notes :)

I appreciated the flashbacks to Halloween night 1978 which showed new scenes that were concurrent with the events of Halloween (1978). This was a rare well-done retcon that successfully deepened the modern character’s motivations and provided richer context for the present story. 

Like the previous film this was written by Danny McBride and David Gordon Green, yet it was missing their signature humour. I wished there was a little more levity in this. It’s pretty brutal, even for a slasher!

Anthony Michael Hall plays Tommy - the little boy Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis) babysat in the original film. He is UNRECOGNIZABLE as the Tony Hall you know and love. A shot of his face lit up by red light cuts immediately to a shot of a jack-o-lantern (see both above). After this comparison I couldn’t imagine him as anything other than a pumpkin. 

I will never look at a fluorescent light bulb the same way again.

Kyle Richards (who you may know as one of The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills or possibly from Watcher in the Woods (1980)) reprises her role from the 1978 Halloween as Lindsey, one of a few survivors of Michael Myers. I liked the addition of side characters who were personally affected by the events of the first film. Of course their lives were irrevocably altered 40 years ago, and as a result some of them feel like they must now be the heroes of the story. If I survived Mikey M. as a kid I think I would have moved far far away from Haddonfield, Illinois - probably to an uncharted island surrounded by sharks and mines.

One of my horror movie pet peeves is the ridiculously inaccurate depiction of hospitals. Morgues are not designed in a way that a murder victim’s mother can accidentally discover the body of her disfigured child through a window in a busy hallway! COME ON! Hospital chaos was the most stressful part of this film for me. A mob of angry townspeople including doctors and nurses trample people and knock each other down stairwells. Medical students take the Hippocratic Oath to, “first, do no harm”. COME ON!

An over-the-top (even for Halloween) rich couple (see above) now lives in Michael Myers’ childhood home. They are Big John, a honey-pondering, stoned jazz daddy, and Little John, a pirate daddy played by MADtv’s Michael McDonald. I’m sorry I know he’s been in many other things since then, but I will always associate him with that problematic show and Zima (a drink I’ve actually encountered only once - weirdly in Kochi, Japan). How do I know they’re rich? Sure, the house was probably cheap to buy as it was the site of multiple murders, but they’ve obviously put a lot of money into renovations. They also leave FOUR lamps on in their upstairs bedroom while they watch a movie downstairs. I did love that they were watching Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) by John Cassavetes - a perfect choice for Halloween night. 

Laurie, albeit “geeked out on pain meds” tells Tommy to go find and kill Michael Myers. I know she’s not his babysitter anymore and Tommy is a fully grown adult, but this is still terrible, irresponsible advice. Laurie!!

I know I said I liked the addition of all the side characters but there might actually be too many characters in this!

The soundtrack includes an Anne Murray song?! Scary! The fact that I was able to identify an Anne Murray song - horrifying!!!

One adult survivor character gives an order to two teens (in an attempt to protect them!) that follows the same logic from Children of the Corn (1983): “[If] you see anything suspicious - you honk the horn.” Have these people learned nothing?! Honking?!

As just noted in Anamorph (2007), we are again presented with several gruesome tableaus. Why are serial killers such creative installation artists?! Are they taking some sort of online course?? Good for them!

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #467

Top Ten Romantic Couples in Superhero Movies (& TV)

It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend. Woo, I guess? I dunno. I’m not generally cynical about holidays but Valentine’s Day does seem to be entirely focused on selling cards without any of the associated pleasantries of, say, Christmas or Halloween. I’d rather just try to be nice to my wife all year round. At least because of the apocalypse all the restaurants are closed so we can’t be tempted to pay through the nose for a set menu. Anyway, it gives me a strained excuse to tie this week’s Top Ten to something vaguely romantic.

Superheroes are often horny. This seems to be a defining characteristic of the artform. Whether it’s their descent from ancient myths, or their creators’ origins in writing romance books, or just a function of genre storytelling in the mid-twentieth century, there’s quite a lot of romantic angst in superhero stories. Pretty much every superhero has a significant other; Lois Lane even got her own comic that was actually called Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane. It’s hard to conceive of many heroes without their primary squeeze, and often – as we get multiple media adaptations of characters – we can add diversity or a twist to the proceedings by picking a lesser-known love interest, or one from earlier in the character’s fictional history; for instance, Smallville beginning with Cark Kent’s teenage crush Lana Lang, or The Amazing Spider-Man swapping out Mary Jane Watson for Gwen Stacey.

Anyway, I’m talking this week about my favourite superhero couples. I’ve decided to focus on superhero adaptations – that is, the characters from movies and films based on superhero comics or characters. I find this a little bit easier as I don’t have a phenomenal knowledge of sixty years of Avengers comics, but I have seen all the movies a bunch. As many comics as I’ve read, and as much as I love various ink-and-paper pairings, I can arguably talk more authoritatively about the fillums than the funny books. And let’s be real here, kids: my favourite comic book romantic couple is Chromedome and Rewind in Transformers. Also if I split them in two I can talk about comic couples next year. Woohoo!

It really is hard thinking of these things nearly nine years in, folks.

So! Here, then, are my favourite movie-TV Couples in Capes. Obviously there’s a fair bit of MCU in here. And I’ve been pretty specific about “superhero” romances: so no Hellboy and Liz Sherman, sadly (and I do really like them in the movies, of which they really need to make a third). Some are civvies-and-supes; some are capes-and-capes. You’ll work it out.

Superman & Lois Lane (Christopher Reeve & Margot Kidder, Superman, 1978): who else? The most famous romance in all of comics, a combo so strong it remains the focus of pretty much every interpretation of the character, but arguably never better than here; so good are Reeve and Kidder that their fast-talking banter and inherent goodness set the template for a huge swathe of other comic adaptations to follow. She’s sarky and streetwise; he’s gormless and good-hearted. She leaps in where angels fear to tread, he’s an invulnerable alien in disguise. They have buckets of chemistry and an utterly believable (tentative) romance. They’re perfect performances and the scenes of Clark in Metropolis for the first time (including Superman’s balcony interview with Lois) are the best bits of an already excellent film.

Raven & Beast Boy (Tara Strong & Greg Cipes, Teen Titans Go!, 2014): on a totally different register, we have the comedy stylings of the Teen Titans. Raven and Beast Boy had a flirtatious relationship on the original Titans series, but on this longer-running and much more demented comedy follow-up, they were allowed to make the romance more official (I nearly said “explicit” but, y’know… it’s not that). The jokes and banter – BB the love-struck, jealous suitor, Raven the too-cool partner who feigns nonchalance – build and build, but every now and again they’re allowed a moment of genuine heartfelt romance, and it hits all the more strongly amidst the ultra-violence and outrageous comedy.

Captain America & Agent Carter (Chris Evans & Hayley Atwell, Captain America: The First Avenger, 2011): the premier couple of the MCU, Steve and Peggy spend a whole movie flirting (she sees the goodness of him even before he gets all hench) before finally arranging a date that, we all know, is very much postponed. Peggy casts a shadow over the rejuvenated Cap and the MCU as a whole, founding SHIELD, inspiring dozens of heroes, and counselling Steve to her dying days. She remains Steven’s true north (like Supes with Lois, Peggy’s an ordinary human who is the actual hero of an actual super-powered hero), guiding him through the chaos and tragedy of Endgame, until they both get to live happily ever after. Even though he snogged her niece.

Batman & Catwoman (Michael Keaton & Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns, 1992): Pfeiffer delivers a barnstorming performance as Selina Kyle, all barely-supressed mania and seductive feline charm. The chemistry between her and Keaton is electric, and propels the film forward even when the Penguin-runs-for-mayor stuff gets a bit daft and icky. There are beautiful moments of romantic comedy when they’re both trying to cover up injuries they gave each other, and of course there’s “mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it” – a line that runs a close second to “dance with the devil” when it comes to Burton-Batman quotations (just ahead of “never rub another man’s rhubarb”). Burton, generally favouring the macabre villains over the straighter edges of the heroic Batman, nevertheless makes great play of the duality of the character, and how this is something he and Catwoman can share – both “split right down the centre” – but also how this means a happy ending for either of them is impossible.

Spider-Man & Mary Jane (Tobey Maguire & Kirsten Dunst, Spider-Man, 2002): whilst a lot of this is really down to the sexiness of them kissing upside-down in the rain, there’s a nice duality to Peter and MJ seeing through each other too: he sees the wounded humane soul beneath her it-girl persona; she sees the kind, caring man underneath his geek baggage. This arc plays out beautifully across the first two films (ending in that wonderfully accepting “Go get ‘em, tiger”) before sadly getting all murky and unsatisfying in the murky and unsatisfying third film. Still: that kiss.

Wonder Woman & Steve Trevor (Gal Gadot & Chris Pine, Wonder Woman, 2017): probably the film that hews closest to the Clark-Lois dynamic of the original Superman, to the point where it includes an homage to the alleyway-mugging scene as Diana deflects a bullet. Steve is Diana’s window into man’s world, showing her the horror of the First World War but managing to also be a sympathetic ally and never talking down or mansplaining anything. He’s a hero in his own right – very similar to another wartime Steve on this list – and very much an ideal match to the demigod he’s showing round Europe. And, of course, Gadot’s Diana is incredible, both niaive and vulnerable whilst also an absolute badass. There is an enduring warm chemistry to the pair, with a relationship which we actually see consummated – relatively rare for superheroes! The inevitability of his heroic sacrifice does nothing to lessen the tragedy, and no I’ve not seen Wonder Woman 1984 yet.

Hawkeye & Laura Barton (Jeremy Renner & Linda Cardellini, Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2015): I love these guys! I love that Hawkeye has a relatively normal, stable family life. He has a big old farmhouse that he wants to remodel, he’s got two kids and a third on the way… he’s got something to live for, something to lose. It humanises him amidst the literal and figurative gods of the Avengers. And they’re cute together, bickering and bantering, and of course she is supportive of his Avenging. I hope we get to see more of Laura and the kids in the Hawkeye series, and I hope nothing bad happens to them now they’ve all been brought back to life.

Wanda Maximoff & Vision (Elizabeth Olsen & Paul Bettany, Avengers: Infinity War, 2018): theirs is a difficult relationship to parse, because they’re together so briefly. They cook paprikash together in Civil War before having a bit of a bust-up, and by Infinity War they’re an official couple, albeit on the run (and on different sides). That movie does a great job in establishing their feelings for each other in very little screentime, with their heroic characteristics on full display, before the shockingly awful tragedy of Wanda killing Vision to save the galaxy, before Thanos rewinds time, brings him back to life, and kills him again, and then wins. Their relationship going forward, in WandaVision, is even trickier, because we don’t know what’s up yet, and at times they’re clearly not acting as “themselves”, defaulting to sitcom tropes and one-liners. Will Vision survive, and if he does, will their relationship? Who can say, but at least they’ll always have Edinburgh, deep-fried kebabs and all.

Batman & Andrea Beaumont (Kevin Conroy & Dana Delany, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, 1993): woah, Batman’s back but it’s a different Batman, say whaaaat. Animated Batman has had a few romances, from the great (Talia al-Ghul) to the disturbingly icky (Batgirl, ewwww), but his relationship with Andrea Beaumont is the best. Tweaking the Year One formula to give young Bruce a love interest that complicates his quest is a golden idea, and making her a part of the criminality and corruptiuon that he’s fighting is a suitably tragic part of the Batman origin story. Conroy and Delany give great performances, him wringing pathos out of Bruce, torn between heart and duty (“It just doesn’t hurt so bad anymore,” he wails to his parents’ grave, “I didn’t count on being happy”), her channelling golden age Hollywood glamour. The tragedy of them rekindling their relationship years later, only to wind up on different sides again, is – again – so very Batman. It’s a beautiful, earnest, very Batman relationship, a great titanic tragedy of human emotions and larger-than-life ideals. And they both look good in black.

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy (Kaley Cuoco & Lake Bell, Harley Quinn, 2020): this one’s a little bit of a cheat, as I’ve only seen the first season of the show, where Harley and Ivy don’t even get together. But in the wider, non-canonical sense of these being characters who are part of the pop-cultural ether, Harley and Ivy will always be a couple, I feel; and there’s definitely enough in there already to see the affection between them, not yet consummated. They adore each other, are always there for each other, and as the season follows Harley getting out of her own way and acknowledging the abuse of her relationship with Joker – and finally getting over it in the healthiest way possible for a bleached-white manic pixie in roller derby gear. And all through this, holding her hand, is Ivy. They’re utterly made for each other, and I’m glad that they do get together in season two. I hope that Margot Robbie’s rendition of the character can likewise find happiness with a flesh-and-blood Ivy. Hell, just cast Lake Bell again. She’s great.

Just bubbling under – and I’m really gutted I couldn’t fit them in – was Spider-Man & M.J. from Spider-Man: Far From Home. Like Batman, I’m comfortable including multiple continuities here, and those cuties offer a different spin on a classic relationship.

[celmation-gibson]

Hello, Well 2018 was a Great time for Cinemas, and what a Year for such Creature Features such as the ones I will be reviewing here, and now may I present to you some reviews of the movies that I've observed on the Big Screen that year.

Pacific Rim: Uprising – My First movie to see in Theaters since I couldn’t find a Perfect time to see Aardman’s ‘Early Man’, but I’m pretty sure this Year would be a Monster of a Movie experience in the Cinemas. Since I’ve have and Watched the First film on DVD, I would think that I should enjoy its Sequel that has been made, and even though Mr. Guillermo Del Toro (the first film’s Director) didn’t direct this Film, he Helped Produce it as well. And as I said before, I do Love a Good Giant monster film, and this film was always filled with Suspense, Action, & Drama, and I would Fear that there won’t be any Hope left if those Giant Monsters win. Also it breaks my Heart wide Open to see a Character who I say and Liked in the First film died in this one. And that one Villainous Character is sure a Wicked Dick (*pardon my Language*) about this one being Possessed by a Kaiju Masterminded Brain. And surprising how that Rouge Jaeger was controlled by a Kaiju Brain, Hit him once & he’ll hit you back Twice as Hard. But I’m glad the heroes win in this Battle, and it took near the Tail end of the Film for the Movie’s Title to appear, unlike the First one where you wait 15-20 minutes for the Main Title to appear in a longest prologue, but for Me, I would almost stick with the Original Film.

Rampage – As I said before, I do Love a Good Giant monster Movie, and this is one of them. And it was a God-Epic monster Mash, even had some hilarious Moments, like when George flips the Bird, and I was like “Did that Primate just flip a Bird?”, though I do know another Ape who can Flip a Bird. And not to mention that the movie is actually based off an Old Arcade game of the same name, and if you Look very closely in the Office Building of Energyne, there are Arcade Cabinets of the Original ‘Rampage’ game, and ‘Rampage: World Tour(?), though I’m not quite sure what the other one is. And the monsters are Hardcore Badass, I don’t know which one(s) are Great (though I pick all of them), and for Bonus, there was another Creature in the Beginning of this Film that was a Rat Test subject. And the Sequence where they hunt the Giant Wolf Down was Awesome and it gave me Goosebumps completely. Plus some Good Elements from the Game is Included as Well, such as Eating People, Tearing down a Building from top to bottom, the military being involved, and Destruction of the monsters themselves. Even when me and my Dad were watching it in the Theaters, and when Dad watched the Commercials for the Film, one of his Favorite Quotes from the movie was “And of course the Wolf Flies”, LOL! And the Lizard Monster in the Film was so Massive & a “Pain in the Ass”, there was no End in that Creature, even when you plant an Explosion in his Ears & throw Missiles at him, he gets back up again, and I thought the Impalement on George would have Killed him Completely, but it was just thru his Shoulders and Thank goodness not the Heart Area or Between the Chests. But still, this film was an Epic Fun Thrillride, the characters are Great & Fun-filled, and I guaranteed this Year would be a Monster Movie Experience in the Theaters.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Well, me and my Dad seen the first 'Jurassic World' in Theaters back in 2015, so we figured since we love Dinosaur movies, we go this this latest update, and to our Surprise, Original Jurassic Park star Mr. Jeff Goldblum (the big Chill, the Fly(1986)) will be starring in Guest Role, and it was a Surprise seeing him in a Honda(?) commercial to promote the Film. And That my Foodtown was already selling products, even sodas & Chips in Promoting the Features, and it featured some of my Favorite Dinosaurs in the Film such as the Classic T-Rex, and boy was that Opening Scene in the Pouring Rain so Intense, the Surviving Raptor of the Original JW film Blue, who is one of my Favorite 'Good Guy' Raptors, the Comical Dino Hard-head Stiggy, who I find entertaining & Funny in the Movie, and My Favorite Villainous Dinosaur, the IndoRaptor, and if you think the Indomenous Rex in 'Jurassic World' was Terrifying, this IndoRaptor is one Badass Creep, even when she(?) smiles while playing Dead while one of the Soldier guys was about to Chip a Tooth off her, kinda gives it like a Cartoon-y feel to it like the minor ones in 'the Adventures of Pinocchio'(1996). And that Epic moment where the Island was in Volcanic Eruption was so Frantic, even one scene in the Film was shot in One single Lengthy shot during those Round Vehicle Thingies, an I thought the Part where one of the Brachiosaurus was Left behind on the Island while Massive smoke was covering him was the most Disturbed sequences in the Film. Well i certainly enjoyed the film, while my Daddy didn't, cuz he thought there wasn't much action or creature footage in the film, as he thought there was more of some "Love Stories" being put into it, that's why he might like 'Rampage' more, where they showed some monsters earlier in the film, but you might say that some Critics praised Pratt's and Howard's performance, Bayona's direction, the visuals, Michael Giacchino's score and the "surprisingly dark moments", while others suggested the series had run its course, criticizing the screenplay and lack of innovation.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation - Well, Mr. Genndy Tartakovsky Never Fails to impress us with this Three-times Charmer, and how Lucky was I to reserve a Seating to see this on my Birthday of 2018, after a Good Morning at the Meadowlands flea Market, and a goof Lunch at Taco Bell, I hit the Theaters with my Dad, and the Movie was Fantastic, and since Mr. Genndy Tartakovsky Co-written this Film (along with one of the 'Austin Powers' writer), I know what some Moments in the Film, there are certain scenes that are free of Dialogue, just like the ones in 'Samurai Jack'. And it was a-bit strange to see a Character from one the 'Hotel Transylvania' shorts that I've never seen, and that short was "Puppy", but in order to watch the short (even for myself), I have to watch that Gross-out 'Emoji movie' for it. But for HT3, the Climatic part of the DJ Battle with Professor Van Helsing (Drac's old Nemesis, and was surprise to see him still Alive in Machine parts) & the Kraken was Awesome, I didn't remember the first Official song played, but I do know the second being 'Don't Worry, be Happy', and the Final one was none other than the 'Macarena' and supposedly it's the Extended River remix version of the song which I have on my I-Tunes and have no regret in Purchasing it, along with Daft Punk's 'One More Time'. So I like the Film and can't wait to get it for Christmas, along with 'Rampage' this Year. And I even heard that Genndy will be working more at SPA where he will be set to Direct an R-rated animated feature titled 'Fixed', and an Adventure Film named 'Black Knight'.

Smallfoot - When I saw some Preview ads on CartoonBrew, I thought this looks kinda Weird and thought I'd just pass on it, but after seeing some TV Ads for the film, and seeing how interesting it looks, I thought I'd give it a shot, and kinda find the movie very Interesting if you wanna feel Young at Heart, and was Lucky to see it on Columbus Day, the only Actor(s) in the Cast i know were comedian Danny Devito & Basketball superstar Lebron James, and to my surprise seeing the closing credit of the film that Cartoonist Justin Roiland voiced in the film as well as one of the Yeti folks in the Kingdom, and I only know the names Common & Gina Rodriguez starring in the film. And the Music and songs in the Film are Nice, and I like how some Advance the Characters or Advance the plot, and it was Hilarious hearing one Song being sung in the tune of Queen/David Bowie's 'Under Pressure', and since Common is a Rapper in real-life, he did a Good Singing on when the Stonekeeper himself tells Migo that Humans & Yetis were Enemies in the old ages. And the other reasone I like watching this film is that I'm also Fascinated with Yetis and Drawing them, as you can see from my old 'YETI & other Stories' story in my Gallery, and one of my Yeti inspirations was the old Unfinished/soon-to-be-Finished David Allen film 'the Primevals'. And don't forget that the SF film was inspired by a book called 'Yeti Tracks', which is a good thing that some Films were based on Books such as 'Mr. Popper's Penguins', 'Home', & 'the Adventures of Pinocchio(1996)'. And I like how the Film was promoted "from the Studio who brought you 'Looney Tunes'" in which case, it is made by Warner Bros., and also the people who worked on 'Storks', and this film now made me think of two Environmental Animated films from 20th century Fox such as 'Ferngully: the Last Rainforest' & 'Once upon a Forest'.

Halloween(2018) - I never even heard that the Original 1978 classic is getting a Remake, although It may not look like a remake, but a True sequel to the Original film, and avoiding stuff on what happened in 'Halloween II(1981)', 'Halloween 4 -Curse', & 'H20'. And I read that the original star Ms. Jamie Lee Curtis will be in this Film, as well as being executive producer for the feature along with the Original 1978 Film's Director Mr. John Carpenter, as in they want to make it look Perfect as the original Monsterpiece, and they did succeed in it in Keeping the Spirit & Atmosphere like the 1978 movie. And I gotta say, Micheal Myers is one 'Pain-in-the-Ass' monster in this Film, like he always is in the original series, and I feel sorry for the People who got killed by that Creep, the Podcasters, the Boy who was equipped with a Gun along with his daddy, and a Woman who Micheal murdered and left a Baby behind. And an amazing thing my dad found in a Twist of Story is when Micheal got hit by the Sheriff, the Sheriff and the Late Dr. Loomis' student professor went out to investigate and kill Micheal, only for the Sheriff to be killed by the Professor, and when the Professor dude wore Micheal's mask, my dad thought that he was gonna be the New Micheal Myers, but Micheal resurfaced and soon killed the Professor afterwards. And one part in the Film which left the Audience in an applause is a Sequence that was based off the Original film, when Micheal attacked Laurie and pushed her off the Balcony, he saw her Body Lying there, but when Micheal turned away and looked back again, she was gone, just like what happened in the 1978's film ending. even after watching this film with my dad, he still had alot of Questions need to be Answered about some parts in the film, and I wish they showed more of the Ending with Micheal being Burned alive in the Cellar. And this may be one Creepy Classic that i might never watch again, but I just stick with the original Masterpiece of Fright & Shock.

the Grinch - Man, I am seeing alot of Good films in 2018, and this one may be the Last that interest me that Year, and this one was an Adaption of Dr. Suess' Classic Holiday Tale, 'How the Grinch stole Christmas', or simply titled 'the Grinch'. And seeing how Interesting it looks after seeing some Previews and TV Ads, especially that part where the Grinch whispers to Max and Fred "This is the Loudest Snow I've ever heard in my Life", I've decided to give it a Go, and hoping to see if it's Fascinating like the Original 1966 Animated Classic and more Better than the 2000 Live-Action Jim Carrey one, and it was. How lucky i was to see this movie on a Day off afternoon on a Wednesday, and I thought i would be the only one seeing the Film in Theaters, but it was also some Girls and their Parents & Guardians, possibly had a Half a day off. But for the Film, I Loved how the Narrator of the Film narrates in Rhyme, like the Original Dr. Suess books, and how the Writers improvised the Story using the same Lines in the Books, and It had a Great choices in Christmas soundtrack, especially in the part with Grinch Wake-up Radio with some Familiar tunes I know and Cherished. And it was a Great Film produced by the Wonders of Illumination, the Wizards behind 'Despicable me', 'the Secret Life of Pets', & 'Sing', plus they did another Dr. Sues adaption such as 'the Lorax', even some of the character designs in the film made me think of the Designs from Disney features such as 'Wreck-It Ralph' & 'Monster University'. And some of the Voice Cast in the film I know of was Keenan Thompson of 'All That' & 'Keenan & Kel' voicing Bricklebaum, a jolly citizen of Whoville, and Angela Lansbury as the Whoville's Mayor, and how Surprised/Not Surprised to hear another Familiar Voice in the Film playing one of Cindy Lou's Friends, who that boy is none other than Mr. Sam Lavagnino, the Voice of Baby Grizz in 'We Bare Bears' & Pepper and Alien King in 'Summer Camp Island'. And I'd thought Ms. Cindy Lou Who would have a cute design just like the one in the 1966 Classic, and she did have a Cuter design in this Film when it comes to the Creative Artists of Illumination. And Yet, this has become another Holiday Classic, and when I told my Mother how much Fun it is, she might be hoping to get the Film on DVD for my Niece to Enjoy.

There was a Movie called 'the Meg', though I may have interest to see that, but I wasn't sure how much interested I will be with the Whole thing. And sorry if I didn't felt like seeing 'Ralph breaks the Internet' or 'Into the Spider-Verse', I go for the Obscure & Non-Disney taste in the Cinemas as of now.

[starberry-cupcake]

mommakittysworld replied to your photoset “Rachel Chavkin receiving the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical...”

I wouldn't watch a film that was directed or produced by a woman just because I dont think I'd be interested in it. I like horror. The more disturbing, the better. I just dont think most women have the right personality to create a good horror film. I hate comedy, and especially romance. My tastes aren't very feminine.

Ok so, I received this reply on my post about Rachel’s speech on the Tonys. I’m going to block this person outright and I won’t engage in any type of conversation with them. However, I want to post this reply with two intentions: 

1) I appreciate when blogs I follow show these kinds of behavior toward their content so that I can block them and not have to cross paths with them in the future. I highly advice you not to engage in conversation with them, not even to dissent, but if you find their answer as insulting as I did, you might want to block them. 

2) I am going to take this opportunity to talk about a very favorite subject of mine: women in horror. Here is a list of several women who have created content in the realms of horror in the past or who are doing it today, from various standpoints, with various origins and for very different tastes, as well as a selection of examples of their work (there’s so much more they’ve done!). Tread with caution because horror is not devoid of triggers. Whatever I haven’t seen or read in this list is at least included in my to-watch/read lists. This person might not appreciate them, but I know someone out there will. 

Ann Radcliffe (writer)

The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)

Mary Shelley (writer)

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818)

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (writer)

The Yellow Wallpaper (1890)

Daphne Du Maurier (writer)

Jamaica Inn (1936), Rebecca (1938), My Cousin Rachel (1951), The Birds and Other Stories (1963)

Shirley Jackson (writer)

The Haunting of Hill House (1959), We Have Always Lived in the Castle (1962), The Lottery and other Stories (1949)

Joyce Carol Oates (writer)

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? (1966), Zombie (1995)

Alejandra Pizarnik (writer and poet)

The Bloody Countess (originally called: La condesa sangrienta) (1971)

Anne Rice (writer)

Vampire Chronicles (1976–present)

Debra Hill (writer and producer)

Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), Halloween II (1981)

Angela Carter (writer)

The Bloody Chamber (1979), The Company of Wolves (1984)

Susan Hill (writer)

The Woman In Black (1983), The Mist in the Mirror (1992)

Kathryn Bigelow (director)

Near Dark (1987)

Narumi Kakinouchi (mangaka)

Vampire Princess Miyu (originally called: 吸血姫 美夕) (1988-2002)

Mary Lambert (director)

Pet Sematary (1989)

Marina Sargenti (writer and director)

Mirror Mirror (1990)

Fran Rubel Kuzui (director)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

Jennifer Lynch (writer and director)

Boxing Helena (1993)

Laurell K. Hamilton (writer) 

Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter (1993-present)

Tananarive Due (writer)

The Between (1995), My Soul to Keep (1997), The Good House (2003), Trial Day (2003), Aftermoon (2004), Ghost Summer: Stories (2015)

Octavia E. Butler (writer)

Bloodchild and Other Stories (1995), Fledgling (2005), also has a lot of sci-fi themed books

Kei Fujiwara (writer and director)

Organ (originally called: オルガン) (1996)

Kelly Link (writer)

The Specialist’s Hat (1999)

Mary Harron (writer and director)

American Psycho (2000)

Guinevere Turner (writer)

American Psycho (2000)

Karen Walton (writer)

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Linda Addison (poet)

Consumed, Reduced to Beautiful Grey Ashes (2001)

Ann Hui (director)

Visible Secret (originally called: 幽灵人间) (2001)

Marina de Van (writer and director)

In My Skin (2002)

Elizabeth Kostova (writer)

The Historian (2005)

Helen Oyeyemi (writer)

White is for Witching (2009)

Karyn Kusama (director)

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Diablo Cody (writer)

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Gemma Files (writer)

A Book of Tongues (2010), A Rope of Thorns (2011), A Tree of Bones (2012)

Tiffany D. Jackson (writer and director)

So I Married A Vampire (2010), The Field Trip (2011)

Seanan McGuire (writer)

Feed (2010), Deadline (2011), Blackout (2012, Feedback (2016)

Asa Nonami (writer)

Body (originally called: 躯) (2012)

Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska (writers and directors)

American Mary (2012)

Lauren Beukes (writer)

The Shining Girls (2013), Broken Monsters (2014)

Melissa Hunter (writer, director and actress)

Adult Wednesday (2013-2015)

Axelle Carolyn (writer and director)

Soulmate (2013)

Jennifer McMahon (writer)

The Winter People (2013)

Marisha Pessl (writer)

Night Film (2013)

Jennifer Kent (writer and director)

The Babadook (2014)

Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer), Emma Ríos (writer and illustrator) & Jordie Bellaire (colorist)

Pretty Deadly (2014-2016)

Ana Lily Amirpour (writer and director)

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)

Julia Penner (writer)

Stage Fright (2014)

Leigh Janiak (writer and director)

Honeymoon (2014)

Krysty Wilson-Cairns (writer)

Penny Dreadful (comic books and tv series) (2014-2016)

Diane Ruggiero-Wright (writer)

iZombie (2015-present)

Agnieszka Smoczyńska (writer and director)

The Lure (2015)

Anna Biller (writer and director)

The Love Witch (2016)

Julia Ducournau (director and writer)

Raw (2016)

Sarah Adina Smith (director and editor)

Mother’s Day segment in Holidays (2016)

Mariana Enríquez (writer)

Things We Lost In The Fire (originally called: Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego) (2016)

Mariana Travacio (writer)

Flowerbed (originally called: Cantero) (2016)

Issa Lopez (writer and director)

Tigers Are Not Afraid (originally called: Vuelven) (2017)

Jac Jemc (writer)

The Grip of It (2017)

Carmen Maria Machado (writer)

Her Body and Other Parties (2017)

Emma Tammi (director)

The Wind (2018)

Teresa Sutherland (writer)

The Wind (2018)

Nicole Snyder (writer)

The Perfection (2018)

Stacie Passon (director and writer)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle (film) (2018)

If anyone wants to add some more to this list, you’re welcome to do so. I absolutely also recommend, if you’re interested in the subject, following @horrorladies​ ♥

[aarontalksmusic-blog]

A Top 30 Horror Movies

This is Halloween! This is Halloween! There are a lot of awesome horror movies, but I picked just 30 that qualify as my favorites. 

#30 - The Conjuring

So this movie isn’t perfect. The last 20-30 minutes kinda turn into a mess as the demon gets more confrontational. But, the first 90 minutes are a near perfect slow build of tension and smart visual storytelling. All the actors do a good job, even the kids. This movie has insured I never play Hide and Clap.

#29 - Paranormal Activity 2

In my opinion superior to the (still pretty good) original, PA2 moves faster than its predecessor and uses the audience’s curiosity against them in interesting ways. You’re always looking to the edges of the screen for something or someone out of place, and as the movie progresses, that curiosity rattles the nerves more and more.

#28 - The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

One of the only modern horror remakes that improves and expands on the original. The Hills Have Eyes hit when I was a junior in high school. It is gleefully gorey and deranged. People die in awful ways, and the protagonist (seen above) spends most of the last half hour drenched in blood. It’s a lot of fun if you’re into that sort of thing.

#27 - Event Horizon

Space Horror is a hard genre to get right. Event Horizon knocks it out of the park by getting the slow build right. There are gruesome and bloody images from time to time, but the majority of the movie is built on tension and dread. Having Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne leading the cast adds some dramatic weight to the proceedings.

#26 - The VVitch

The GOAT 17th Century rural horror movie. This movie gets real weird and leaves a lot up to the audience’s imagination. The less said about it the better if you haven’t seen it. But, even for the 2010s renaissance of horror, this one stands out.

#25 - Hereditary

This is a list of my favorite horror movies, not the scariest. If it were “scariest” this would be top 10, maybe top 5. The second half of this movie is some of the most uncomfortable and relentlessly horrifying storytelling I’ve ever seen. Across just two feature films, Director Ari Aster has proved himself a master of the horror genre. We’re all worse off for it.

#24 - Return of the Living Dead

The first movie on this list that is more funny than scary, Return of the Living Dead is laugh out loud hilarious at times. Somehow, it still manages to be a more effective zombie movie than most serious ones. Great punk rock soundtrack and highly quotable, this is great for people who scare a little too easily.

#23 - Friday the 13th Part 2

Basically improving on the original in every way, Friday the 13th Part 2 is iconic even without Jason’s hockey mask making an appearance. The killer instead keeps a lumpy bag over his head the whole time. The movie lets you know early on that its going to be ridiculous, when the Part 2 logo literally smashes through the Friday the 13th title card. Great representation of the slasher genre.

#22 - Suspiria (2018)

I’m a sucker for lore in movies, and Suspiria is full to the brim with details that expand on the world. Led by great performances from Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson, the movie is highly intelligent and occasionally brutally violent. The fact that the director’s prior movie was “Call Me By Your Name” shows that he’s a talented filmmaker no matter the genre.

#21 - Halloween (1978)

Michael Myers is iconic. The music is iconic. Jamie Lee Curtis is an all-time great horror leading lady. Halloween is a must watch for horror genre fans. 

#20 - Get Out

This movie is so well written it won an Oscar. Get Out is both hilarious and brutally tense. The acting is awesome across the board. Who knew Jordan Peele would use his comedy talent to make a career in scary movies? 

#19 - Shaun of the Dead

A classic comedy filled with so many jokes that it takes about 3 watches to catch them all. Not scary in the least, but uniquely playful in the genre. Also made Simon Pegg a star. Nothing but greatness here.

#18 - The Descent

I’ll always remember my first watch of this movie. It slaps you in the face with trauma in the first 5 minutes. Then spends three quarters of an hour building tension and claustrophobia before suddenly becoming a solid monster feature. Though it fizzles a little at the end with some wtf moments, the first 3/4ths are very effecting.

#17 - Nightmare on Elm Street

Nightmare on Elm Street is just a cool as hell idea for a horror movie. It takes the occasional predictability of Halloween or Friday the 13th and flips it. The kills are inventive and visually interesting, the effects are very cool, and you get to see Johnny Depp get brutally murdered. win-win-win.

#16 - Saw

Saw came out at a perfect age for me. Seeing this movie at 16 was a great experience. Even as the sequels got worse and worse, the whodunnit nature of the original held up. People were literally drowning in gore by Saw 3, but this is a solid movie that knows when to tone things down. Great watch.

#15 - Evil Dead 2

By turns hilarious and unsettling, watching Evil Dead 2 allows the viewer to marvel at the special effects done on a shoestring budget. Bruce Campbell is an absurd and talented physical actor, and singlehandedly carries this movie into the hall of fame.

#14 - IT Chapter 1

Chopping the 1,000 page Stephen King book in half allowed the first half of the IT saga to thrive. Bill Skarsgard is a fantastic Pennywise, and the child actors all do well. A slightly repetitive series of scares keeps this one from perfection (and would be the downfall of Part 2), but its still an amazing peak of the genre.

#13 - Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Fast zombies. Zack Snyder directing before his head got too big. Hilarious musical cues. Apocalyptic imagery. This movie is one of the best of the zombie genre.

#12 - Fright Night (1985)

One of the most simply fun movies on this list, Fright Night is straight out of the mid 80s. It never takes itself too seriously, but it still has some good scares sprinkled in. An essential vampire movie, and the remake with Colin Farrell wasn’t half bad either.

#11 - The Omen (1976)

One of my early favorites, The Omen is another lore filled film that gradually ramps up the twists until the dramatic finale. Probably one of the least scary films on my list, its built on Gregory Peck being a great actor and a few pretty messed up deaths.

#10 - An American Werewolf in London

Another favorite from childhood, this is the best the werewolf genre has to offer. Made by John Landis who also did Animal House and Blues Brothers, American Werewolf balances 80s level of gore with award winning special effects and clever music (every song featured has moon in the title).

#9 - It Follows

One of the newest (and most original) movies on the list, It Follows is one of a kind. It’s terrifying, has great cinematography and halfway through the movie you have absolutely no clue how it will end. Must see.

#8 - Midsommar

This is absolute newest film on the list, and one I’m anxious to rewatch. Midsommar sets itself apart by being 95% in broad daylight and providing a wealth of backstory to the “bad guys”. Also Florence Pugh shows that she is an amazingly skilled actress, particularly in the final 10 minutes.

#7 - The Exorcist

^That guy is scary. He’s also only in the movie for like 3 seconds. Obviously this is a classic. If you haven’t seen it and like horror at all, it will still amaze you, almost 50 years later. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall when it was in theaters watching people lose their minds. Still a masterpiece of the genre.

#6 - The Blair Witch Project

I watched The Blair Witch Project for the first time alone in my room at age...I believe 14. That was a mistake. While the mistakes of the hikers become a bit hilarious on multiple rewatches, the night scenes are still tense af. The last 15 minutes are uniquely terror-inducing. Everybody’s seen this one, but if you haven’t, maybe watch it with the lights on?

#5 - The Evil Dead (2013)

This movie is one of the most intense and relentless horror movies ever. Nail guns, rusty knives, a turkey carver, a chainsaw, a machete: people get literally ripped apart in this movie. But, here’s the thing, its really really fun to watch. You’ll be out of breath when its over, but still.

#4 - Cabin in the Woods

Cabin in the Woods isn’t THAT scary. It flirts with scary. It has some shocking and frightening moments But mostly its a shitload of fun that plays on every trope of the horror genre. It also has one of my favorite final moments of any film on this list.

#3 - The Thing

Underappreciated upon its release, The Thing has become the standard by which body horror is measured. Its delightfully paranoid and lets the audience sit and think as gruesome deaths pile up. 

#2 - Alien

One of the first movies to terrify me, Alien is one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The monster design is iconic. The kills and set pieces are one of a kind. It has a kick ass female heroine played by Sigourney Weaver. What more do you want?

and finally

#1 - The Shining

YEAHHHHHHH Here’s a brief list of iconic Shining scenes: - An elevator full of blood - The old woman in room 237 - All work and no play make Jack a dull boy - The snowy hedge maze - Here’s Johnny - Danny’s vision of the twins - The house of horrors finale featuring the man in bear costume featured above and of course - REDRUM This movie is a masterpiece, made by one of the greatest directors of all time, starring one of the greatest actors of all time and based on one of the scariest books by the defining horror author of our time. Its damn near perfect.

[bestenglishschool-blog]

Improve your English and spook yourself this Halloween

Are you in the mood to watch something spooky this Halloween? Grab some pillows and pop the popcorn! Halloween is the perfect time to sit on the sofa with friends (or alone if you’re brave) to watch a horror movie or two. Why not use this opportunity to practice your English listening skills as well?

There are tons of good and bad horror movies out there on Netflix, Hulu, or your other favorite streaming service. With so many options to choose from, you might not know where to start. So here’s a list of important horror movies from the past five decades to get you started. Keep in mind that these movies are adult-oriented. That means you should make sure the kids are asleep before you start watching. Happy viewing!

Horror Movies to Watch

1970s

The Exorcist (1973)

This supernatural horror film by William Friedkin— which is based on William Peter Blatty’s novel that is in turn loosely based on true events—has often been called the greatest horror movie ever made. It deserves the praise.

The film centers on a priest who is called to examine a young girl’s disturbing behavior. Her mother can’t find any medical or scientific explanation, and the priest concludes that the young girl, named Reagan, is showing signs of demonic possession. The priest requests the Catholic Church to send an expert priest to perform an exorcism (a religious ritual to remove an evil spirit from a person’s body). The devilish ordeal unfolds over the rest of the film.

The film famously uses complex visual and audio special effects as well as a chilling soundtrack to achieve moments of terror and disbelief. It has many memorable scenes, and the acting is excellent. If you only watch one film from this list, I recommend this one.

Halloween (1978)

John Carpenter directed and scored (wrote the music for) this genre-defining slasher film, which has led to many sequels and remakes. This includes the highly-praised 2018 direct sequel with the original lead actress, Jamie Lee Curtis, reprising (performing again) her role.

The film tells a story of an escaped mental institution patient named Michael Meyers who stalks and kills teenage babysitters in a small town one Halloween night. One by one, the babysitters fall until the last girl remains and fights back with everything she has.

Although it wasn’t the first in the slasher horror genre, Halloween is a hugely influential movie, paving the way and creating a blueprint for other slasher horror films like Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Carrie (1976)

Carrie would the first of many film adaptations of novelist Stephen King’s bestselling work. In fact, Carrie was King’s first published novel.

Brian De Palma directed this story of supernatural suspense and horror about a seventeen-year-old girl who is bullied in high school. One day, she discovers that she has telekinetic powers (the ability to move objects with her mind). She uses this power to take revenge on the cruel classmates who humiliated her. The prom night scene is one of the most famous moments in the history of horror movies.

Also consider:

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) The Wicker Man (1973) The Omen (1976)

1980s

Creepshow (1982)

The best thing about Creepshow is that you don’t have to watch the whole film to enjoy it. The film comprises (consists of) five short dark comedy horror stories written by Stephen King and directed by George Romero. Creepshow isn’t a particularly good film by acting or film-making standards. It has the feeling of a comic book. Still, horror movie lovers will find a lot to enjoy here. It’s not too silly to be called a comedy, and it’s not too serious to be truly scary.

The Evil Dead (1981)

The Evil Dead follows five college students who stay the night in a cabin in a remote part of a forest. In the cabin, they listen to an audio tape which summons demons which possess their bodies. This film has a lot of gory (showing lots of violence or blood) special effects and make-up, which may be disturbing for some viewers.

Despite the very low budget used to make it, The Evil Dead lives on as a critical and fan favorite in the genre. The tight story drives viewers through a terrifying plot that gets more gruesome and tense with each passing scene.

The director, Sam Raimi, and lead actor, Bruce Campbell, went on to create two direct sequels, The Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. Campbell plays the main role in both. Both sequels take a more comic approach than the first film. Developing a close relationship through their partnership, Campbell appears as a cameo character in all of Raimi’s films. Look for him in the Sam Raimi Spiderman trilogy films.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter made this science fiction horror film about a group of American researchers in Antarctica. They encounter “the thing”, an alien parasite which can take the shape of and imitate any person or creature which it absorbs. The researchers must fight against the parasite creature and their own sense of paranoia (false belief that other people are trying to harm you). The story becomes grimmer as the researchers lose trust in each other and realize that any of them could be an imitation. Kurt Russel plays one of the main characters here.

Although the film was released to negative reviews, it has grown in popularity over the years and is now considered a horror classic. It has been praised for its very impressive special effects and slow but steadily increasing suspense.

The alien is a terrible creature, but the main fear is not knowing which character is still human.

Also consider:

The Evil Dead II (1987) An American Werewolf in London (1981) Poltergeist (1982) The Fly (1986) Friday the 13th (1980) The Shining (1980) Prince of Darkness (1987) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

1990s

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola directed this international renowned Gothic horror film which won Academy Awards for costume design, makeup, and sound editing. The story, of course, is a classic, based on the 1897 novel by Bram Stoker that built up the lore (traditional knowledge and beliefs) and mystery of Dracula, Van Helsing, and the vampire fantasy genre. Gary Oldman’s performance of Vlad Dracula might be the most impressive part of this film, but don’t ignore the excellent costumes, make-up effects, and background sets. Don’t miss out on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It does a great job of telling this classic story in a unique way.

Francis Ford Coppola is a central figure in cinema, known especially for The Godfather series and Apocalypse Now.

Event Horizon (1997)

This science fiction horror film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson occurs in distant space. A group of astronauts go on a rescue mission near the planet Neptune when they suddenly find the Event Horizon, a spaceship that has long been missing. They board (get into or onto) the Event Horizon and discover that the entire crew is gone. They also find out that the ship’s engine is designed to open passages to another dimension. As they continue to look for the missing crew members, they realize that there is an evil presence on the ship.

Sam Neill is widely known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park. But he actually played a major role in Event Horizon and several other horror films—including another on this list, In the Mouth of Madness.

Scream (1996)

Scream is a slasher film directed by Wes Craven. The film stars a group of 90s TV and film celebrities (including Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and others) who play high school students. A knife-wielding murderer wearing a ghost mask terrorizes the group, killing them off one by one. The film combines slasher horror with comedy and mystery elements. It also satirizes (makes fun of) clichés (common situations or characters) within the horror genre. The movie was very popular when it was released, and a series of sequels and films with similar stories were released thereafter.

Also, consider:

In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Army of Darkness (1993) The Blair Witch Project (1999) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Candyman (1992) Tremors (1990)

2000s

Trick ‘r Treat (2007)

Trick ‘r Treat is an anthology (collection of art) film like Creepshow. It offers four different Halloween stories, but there is one character that appears across each of them. Every time one of the characters breaks a “rule” of Halloween, the character Sam shows up to show teach them a horrifying lesson. One reason you’ll love Trick ‘r Treat is that all the stories take place on Halloween, and the stories play on people’s expectations of Halloween customs and horror movie plots. It couldn’t be more a more perfect film to watch this season. All the stories are well-crafted, balancing a line of fun entertainment and scary thrills.

The Descent (2005)

The Descent is a British horror film about six adventure-seeking women who go spelunking (cave exploring) in a cave system. Inside the cave, they encounter a long-hidden group of bloodthirsty creatures who start to hunt them down.

The cave setting increases the tension since you know the characters have very few places to hide. Also, the moody soundtrack does a great job of building and holding suspense. This film also explores the characters’ flawed relationships and problems, adding a sense of personal development to this tale of monster horror.

The Mist (2007)

Frank Darabont directed this Stephen King science fiction horror adaptation. It follows a group of people who barricade themselves in a supermarket after a thick fog covers their entire small town. When anyone goes out into the fog, they are swept up or gruesomely attacked by monstrous insect-like creatures.

Although the monsters are huge threat to the characters, the film also explores the extreme tension between people as they struggle to survive the unnatural mist that drives them to the brink (edge) of sanity. The climax of the film is really remarkable.

Also consider:

Drag Me to Hell (2009) 28 Days Later (2002) Slither (2006) Let the Right One In (2008)

2010s

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

The less I say about The Cabin in the Woods, the better. It follows a group of college students who visit a cabin in the woods, and you’ll just have to see the film to find out anything else. This is the kind of horror film where the surprise is the most rewarding part of the movie. I’ll just say this, the more horror movies you’ve seen in your life, the more you’ll appreciate The Cabin in the Woods.

Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) wrote the screenplay for the film in just three days. The film has great special effects and make-up.

The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring is an expertly crafted supernatural horror film from director James Wan. It follows Ed and Lorraine Warren, a husband and wife team of paranormal (very strange events that can’t be explained by science) investigators, whose real-life reports have inspired many other horror films, like Annabelle and The Amityville Horror. In this film, the couple tries to help a family which recently moved into a severely haunted house in Rhode Island.

The chills (sudden feelings of fear) in The Conjuring are outstanding. The film does an amazing job of getting you to sympathize with the family and investigators’ plight (very bad situation) as they deal with the disturbing events taking place in the house.

The Conjuring is the first film in The Conjuring Universe, which includes direct sequels, the Annabelle series, and the newly released The Nun. Get Out (2017) Get Out is a landmark (very important achievement) of American horror films. The film is the directorial debut (first produced film) of Jordan Peele, a well-known comedian from his retired Comedy Central show, Key and Peele. It tells the story of an African-American man, played by Daniel Kaluuya, who goes to visit the family of his white girlfriend for the first time. While he stays at their home, he uncovers a horrifying secret.

Not only does the film tell an exceptional story of tension and terror, it spaces out the dread with moments of brilliant humor. Looking closely at the film, viewers will see how Jordon Peele addresses racism through the lens of (with the perspective of) a unique horror story while paying homage (respect based on previous work) to classics of the genre.

Also consider:

It Follows (2014) The VVitch (2015) It (2017) The Babadook (2014)

Some people might read this and think, why should I watch horror movies at all? I don’t like to be scared. Well, there’s not a perfect answer for that question. Your brain produces a mix of chemicals that makes you feel scared when you think something bad is going to happen. It’s the same as when you ride a roller coaster or do something else that takes you outside of your comfort zone.

If you enjoy suspense or the feeling of surprise that keeps you on the edge of your seat, then you can’t go wrong with any movie from this list for a great Halloween thrill. Just about all of them have received critical praise or have gone on to become fan favorites.

Moreover, watching movies can be a great way to improve your English! For one thing, you’ll get to hear English that isn’t coming from a textbook. The English spoken in movies is very natural, which means that it’s what you would hear from native English speakers. Second, when you watch a movie, you’ll develop a sense of the context around the dialogue. This means that you have chances to learn or guess vocabulary based on the situation. Finally, by hearing natural English in movies you can hear and see the way words are expressed. You can pay attention to body language, pronunciation, and reactions to understand what the characters really mean.

LASC faculty and staff always want to help students learn English in interesting ways. Teachers here would recommend you keep your dictionary by your side, turn on the English subtitles, and don’t worry about catching every word. Even rewind and repeat scenes if you’re using English movies to study. Watching movies, scary or not scary, can be a fun way to improve your English. You can also follow this blog for more great tips on learning English and living in southern California.

Talk to an LASC representative to learn how we can help you on your learning journey.

Read Original Article Here - https://lascusa.com/improve-your-english-and-spook-yourself-this-halloween/

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Halloween 2018 review

The Halloween series has never really had a good break. In the forty years between the original’s release and the release of the newest film in the franchise, there has been a grand total of one good sequel… the third film, which has nothing to do with the rest of the series. The other sequels and reboots are a confusing latticework of alternate timelines and confusing plots that do little except turn Michael Meyers from a monstrous, eerie force into a bland, stereotypical vengeful slasher who just can’t be stopped. The only thing separating him from Jason Voorhees is that what little we understood about him was incredibly stupid and he never went to space.

And then along comes this film.

This film feels like a deconstruction of the failures of the franchise as a whole. The biggest problem with the movies – the Thorn timeline, the H20 timeline, and the Zombie reboots – is that they ultimately defanged Michael entirely by offering some sort of explanation for his motives, be it that he was Laurie’s brother, born with an evil curse that causes him to murder, or that he was just a white trash redneck hillbilly piece of shit in a Rob Zombie movie. Michael Meyers in the first film was ultimately as chilling as he was because his motives were entirely unknowable. We never find out why he killed his sister, or why he escaped and began killing Laurie’s friends; it was just something that happened, with no real rhyme or reason. That is ultimately what made Michael so terrifying, and what none of the later directors seemed to understand. They kept trying to rationalize Michael’s killing in a human narrative. Likewise, in this film, everyone save Laurie is trying to rationalize why Michael is the way he is. They offer all sorts of theories, all sorts of rationales, all sorts of attempts at humanizing Michael Meyers… but ultimately, the only person who truly understood Michael was Dr. Loomis. Loomis believed Michael Meyers to be nothing but pure, unadulterated evil. This, right there, is the truth of the matter, and why Michael Meyers is such an utterly terrifying villain: there is no reason to his actions, and if there is it is utterly alien and unknowable to us. He does what he does because he is simply a monstrous being, a truly irredeemable evil whose perpetual silence speaks volumes. The true failure, in universe and out, is that trying to rationalize Michael’s actions is a doomed endeavor, and these attempts at rationalizing him drive the plot, and ultimately drive Michael to a perfect place for him to begin a new killing spree. The failures of others at trying to comprehend him is what led him back to the utterly horrifying simplicity that drives him. It’s so brilliantly meta, moreso than every single one of the Scream films.

The plot is artful in its simplicity – 40 years to the day that Michael Meyers went on his original rampage, he is once again freed upon Haddonfield. This time though, Lauire is prepared, having spent the past four decades in paranoid doomsday-prepper mode… though this has alienated her daughter from her. Can Laurie survive the night and perhaps bury her demons once and for all, literally and figuratively? Or is Michael finally going to get the biggest treat of all this Halloween – Laurie’s head pierced with his knife?

This film’s greatest asset is, of course, Michael Meyers, finally returning to form. As mentioned above, gone is the convoluted backstories of the Thorn Trilogy and the Zombie films, and even the immediate sequel of the first film – back is the simple, terrifying idea that there are just people of pure evil in this world who do what they do for undefined reasons. Nick Castle returns to the role that made him famous, and returns with great gusto; his Michael may not be the mountain of a man the Zombie films made Michael into, but he is still a chilling force of savagery. And while the overtly supernatural elements of Michael’s character have been done away with, as in the first film there is some ambiguity, some doubt as to whether Michael is entirely human or perhaps something far more sinister… an ambiguity that is best kept when considering how the sequels ended up. Michael Meyers manages to take back the “scariest scene in which a killer walks at a brisk pace” from It Follows in an incredible oner scene in which, on Halloween, Michael goes from one house to the next and trick-or-treats in the way only he knows how.

But Michael would not be quite as effective if he wasn’t up against someone who could handle him. I don’t think I really need to tell you Jamie Lee Curtis does a fantastic job reprising the role that made her famous; here, Laurie has become the horror version of Sarah Connor, with all the emotional baggage, badassery, and familial alienation such a title implies. Somehow she manages to outdo Sidney Prescott in Scream 4 in terms of sheer badassery, and in some of the best subversions and homages in the film, Laurie manages to pull some of Michael’s classic moves against him. These two aside, the supporting cast is actually pretty enjoyable, with everyone getting just enough development you’ll care about what happens to them. Standouts include the charming little boy Julian who is babysat in the film, the badass and surprisingly useful Sherrif Hawkins, and a little boy who expresses a love for dancing and is the one who along with his father discovers the bus of escaped mental patients that signal’s Michael’s freedom.

Of course, none of that would matter if not for the score. John Carpenter did to the score what Michael does to teenage babysitters: he fucking killed it. All of the music is perfect, atmospheric, and amazing, and of course we get plenty of redone versions of the classic theme, as well the classic musical cues. I don’t think there could be a better horror film score than this, it is simply incredible.

If I can level any criticism at this movie, it’s that, despite a few twists and turns here and there, what you expect is pretty much what you get. This is a back-to-basics slasher film, one that doesn’t codify the genre the way the original film did but rather reaffirms what we love about it. For the most part at least it avoids a lot of the bad cliches of the genre, but there’s no denying that this is what you’d expect plot-wise. This is no bad thing, though, as even if it isn’t reinventing the wheel it is clearly a huge love letter to the entire franchise – there are references and homages to pretty much every entry in the series,  including a reappearance by the Silver Shamrock masks of the third film. It acts as a wonderful extension of the first film, and is finally a worthy sequel to one of the greatest slasher films of all time, and a worthy outing for the grandaddy of the slasher genre as we know it. Forty years of screaming teens being slaughtered by implacable monsters were spawned in the wake of Michael Meyer’s Halloween rampage back in 1978, and finally he has returned to remind us after all these years just why he was as influential as he was.

Now let’s get a sequel to Season of the Witch.

[tamas-22-blog]

Halloween (David Gordon Green, 2018)

40 years after Michael Myers unleashed his brutal killing spree, the sole survivor of his purge – Laurie Strode – prepares for a final battle with her tormentor.

After several unsuccessful attempts to recapture the original success of the first film in the franchise, Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions (known for major hits such as Get Out, Split, and Happy Death Day) came to the rescue and assembled the team of director David Gordon Green and Danny McBride. Many in the industry were taken aback by this pairing as the duo had been recently known for their comedies (such as Pineapple Express) and had no previous experience in making horror films (especially not in the resurrection of a classic).

None of the nine previous sequels had come close to the original’s high standard and thus the filmmakers explored many avenues before settling on the perfect combination, which was to ignore all the sequels to the original and make a direct sequel to the first. Thanks in large part to their excellent screenplay, Jamie Lee Curtis (who played the protagonist Laurie Strode in the original) agreed to reprise her role for the final time (that’s what Cher announces every time she embarks on a Farewell Tour so we’ll see if that is the case). Speaking of why she made this decision she revealed: “We make these movies, but we never talk about what happens to anybody. We inflict this sort of intense experience on unsuspecting (often young people) but then we never revisit it, and never know really what happened.”

This film is much more than a slasher film, it has an emotional brain like no other I have seen since the Scream franchise. The main narrative arc of the film centers on trauma and PTSD, and how they collectively affected Laurie Strode in the 40 years after that horrific night in 1978. The film explores with great intelligence and emotional integrity how the horrors of her youth affected her relationships with her adult daughter Karen (a well-cast Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (newcomer Andi Matichak). Throughout the film, we receive glimmers of the trauma Laurie herself inflicted on her daughter Karen, by training her from a young age to shoot guns and defend herself, which in turn resulted in child protective services to remove Karen from Laurie’s care.

It is indicated by Karen that this childhood experience has informed her adult life and has made her anxious, to the point where she actively seeks to ignore and avoid the Halloween festivities. A visual representation of this can be seen in the latter parts of the film where Karen sports a Christmas cardigan, visibly deleting Halloween from her psyche and replacing it with the joyful and happy Christmas holidays. Karen’s daughter, on the other hand, is sympathetic and wants to have a loving relationship with Laurie, whereas Karen is wary of her. This generational trauma depicted in the film is unusual for a slasher film, which seeks thrills and jump scares at the same time. It is more unusual yet that a film manages to authentically capture these emotions and complex subject matters successfully, unlike many of its predecessors within the genre. As Curtis, herself elaborated: “I love that this was a movie that went back 40 years later to explore and expose the realities of trauma on a human being, who is not given any mental health services, help, support etc.”

This film was the biggest box office opening weekend revenue intake with a woman lead in a horror film and second biggest opening with a woman over the age of 55. This proves not only the box office power of nostalgia but the economic viability of films with a woman lead and a cast mainly comprised of women, yet again! The film was low budget (made for $10-15 million) with a relatively small cast, ending up making $255.5 million at the worldwide box office. It is a positive development which, in an ideal world, should mean (and result in) more nuanced films in the horror genre, with a woman in the lead role (without the clichés of the “final girl” trope.

However, the film is lacking when it comes to representation and inclusion. The minor and forgettable character of Sheriff Barker (Omar Dorsey) is scarcely on screen and disappears suddenly without any further mention or appearance, thus making the potential of the character negligible. I must not omit to mention that further whoosh of a scene where a black couple dressed as a doctor and nurse flash across the screen, being gifted the revolutionary one-liner about a car key thought to have been lost, but quickly turns out that it was there with the “doctor” all along. Then as the sinister Michael Myers appears, they are speedily rushed off the screen into the abyss.

It’s disheartening to experience such a great film stumble and fall into the same trope, and present what Robin Wood called “obligatory black content”, with the characters of colour serving as scenery without a purposeful role in the film alongside their white counterparts. Historically, horror/slasher films have not been kind (to say the least) towards people of colour, as they have almost never survived to the end of the film or played a meaningful part in it. Considering this, maybe Sheriff Barker and the nurse/ doctor pair may have been lucky this time around not to be murdered off-screen soon after their introduction. However, it’s comforting to know that directors such as Jordan Peele (Get Out) are rectifying these oversights.

On the other hand, the film is perfectly placed to coincide with the #MeToo era (which was launched as a movement in October 2017) with filming commencing in January 2018 (the same month Time’s Up was founded as a legal defense fund for victims who could not afford their own legal counsel or representation). Interestingly, the film’s screenplay was completed well before these movements were launched and resulted in the reckoning which overthrew predatory producers such as Harvey Weinstein and brought forth the reappraisal of past sexual abuse cases such as those involving Roman Polanski and Woody Allen.

I found this film to be ultimately about the strength and resilience of women, who have found the courage and conviction to stand up for themselves, defend and protect one another, and in the end defeat the monster terrorizing them. The Strode women take on their abuser, just as women across the world have declared that Time’s Up for those who have systematically abused or harassed them.

[silverleafnightshade-blog]

The Eyes of Laura Mars

Released in 1978, The Eyes of Laura Mars is set in the glimmering yet gritty world of NYC haute couture fashion. Mad Magazine parodied the film as “The Eyes of Lurid Mess” and rightly so, for it definitely has plot issues and some grade-A-Virginia-ham overacting. However, director Irvin Kershner managed to capture a whiff of the cultural crossover as the NYC scene shifted from disco to punk. Often touted as the first American giallo film, The Eyes of Laura Mars tidily ticks off the boxes of the Italian genre: a mix of gorgeous and grimy settings, the gruesome murder of beautiful people, and many misdirections before the killer is finally revealed. Added to the mix is Ms. Virginia Ham herself (Faye Dunaway), a hairy Brad Dourif, and a preternaturally prehistoric Tommy Lee Jones. Dourif is only four years younger than TLJ in real life, but he looks like a bearded baby next to TLJ’s tire-treaded brow. Hell, TLJ is six years younger than Dunaway, but there’s not even a scratch of the cougar in their relationship.

Faye Dunaway of course plays the main character, a superstar high fashion photographer who begins to have disturbing visions of murder. Fun fact: the actual images of famous fashion photogs Rebecca Blake and the so-called “King of Kink” Helmut Newton were used in the film.

Speaking of kink, Barbra Streisand was offered the main role (it helped that she was dating producer Jon Peters at the time) but turned it down because she thought the film’s violent, sexual content was too out-there for her image.

The film opens with a murderous sequence, which turns out to be one of Laura’s nightmares. She awakens in her rather spare and severe bedroom,

and then wanders out to her living room, aka The Neutral Zone. Beige and brown rule the day, as does that giant rooster sculpture. From kitchen kitsch to highbrow decor? Huh. And oof, so. Much. Carpeting!

Laura flips through some negatives and tries to put the nightmare behind her. Soon, driver Tommy (Brad Dourif) is ferrying Laura off to the gala reception for a new publication of her photos. It looks like maybe the exterior was shot at one of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s side doors. The interior looks somewhat Studio 54-inspired, though.

Hiiiiiiyyyyyeeee! I’m just a photograph, don’tcha worry.

Laura meets cute-ish with Detective John Neville (TLJ), as cute as can be when one’s publisher has been horribly murdered with an ice pick. Neville came for the questioning, but he stayed for the hors d’oeuvres, or rather, he looks a bit hungry for a Mars Bar. Laura goes home and rings up her bestie, who happens to be dating Laura’s ex-husband Michael (a very slimy yet somehow sexy Raul Julia). Everyone calms each other down, and soon enough, Laura heads off for a shoot at Columbus Circle. The concept is a bit S&M, models in lingerie and furs fighting in front of the husks of burning cars...

The concept was inspired by photog Chris von Wangenheim, and so fitting in front of what my father once called “The Devil’s Arsehole” (don’t feel special, C.C., he said that about every Washington D.C. roundabout too). The intersection didn’t get the moniker until 1892, the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s “discovery” of the New World, when a giant statue of the old man was erected. From the invention of the car on, Columbus Circle was considered a hazardous spot for pedestrians. Given the circle’s bad rap for most of the 20th century, it seems quaint to remember that Olmsted intentionally designed the traffic circle as the grand entrance to Central Park in 1857. By 1978, Columbus Circle was “roundly” (oh ho ho) derided as a dangerous thoroughfare. In 1979, architecture critic Paul Goldberger said that the intersection was "a chaotic jumble of streets that can be crossed in about 50 different ways—all of them wrong." A redesign of the circle’s aesthetics and traffic flow began in 1991, and by the Naughty-Aughties, Columbus Circle had even won a few awards for landscape architecture and urban design.

Neville shows up again at Laura’s set at Chelsea Piers. This is my favorite set in the movie, with the fabulous Sterling St. Jacques dancing around and a lot of blown-out color and drama going on.

It’s also one of our last scenes with poor Lulu and Michelle, alas. I actually quite like both of their characters, so silly and yet so sassy. They have the best outgoing answering machine message, and it made me feel so nostalgic for both answering machines, answering machine messages, and that kind of close relationship you’d have with a roommate. That is the kind of relationship that can only be built after hearing all your messages, and knowing all your secrets, unvarnished and unedited by a brunch re-telling. Sigh.

Laura’s studio is amazing - it’s enormous with tons of old windows, stunning harbor views, and some convenient soft spots that are perfect for sexy times with Neville.

Donald (René motherfucking Murat Auberjonois) is such a great character. He’s Laura’s long-suffering agent, and although at times walking the stereotypical line, he is quite comfortably un-closeted. Whenever someone tries to throw homophobic shade his way, he shines a light right up their asses. I do not love the character’s decor choices, though - a bit too Italianate for me, although who can resist a red damask wallpaper and this goddamn face? Not me, friends.

Speaking of Italian classics, Frank Adonis makes an appearance as Sal, Neville’s slightly unhinged partner. I like this shot of him surveying Laura’s apartment with a “mmm, not bad,” expression.

Frank just shuffled off this mortal coil in late 2018, R.I.P. Weird fact: although he’s the Italian guy you recognize from everything, his Wiki page is in French.

SPOILERS, sort of: Neville goes to see Tommy at his spectacularly depressing apartment, and the visit quickly takes a turn for the worse. Tommy stabs a patrolman while escaping arrest, but the Sal the psycho just opens fire on what appears to be the entire East Village, and Tommy est la morte. Neville rings up Laura to tell her the killer has been caught, and pack your bag, baybeee, they are going away! Laura begins to select some careful neutrals to coordinate with the lady Derringer gifted by Neville, when she is suddenly struck by another vision.

Poor Michael gets ‘picked in the elevator of Laura’s building, and the killer is en route to her apartment! Laura manages to lock the front door just in time. Neville soon comes crashing through the balcony window, and this is where the ending gets super giallo: as he begins babbling about Tommy’s terrible upbringing, Neville accidentally reveals that it is he, Neville, who is the killer. But it’s not really Neville! No, it’s his other personality that did the killing. That personality is also apparently responsible for how nicely Neville fills out a black turtleneck, as well as for finishing Neville’s dissertation and keeping the bills paid. The real Neville struggles back to the surface; to protect his true love, he basically shoots himself using Laura’s gun (and trigger finger, as she is holding said gun at the time). The final shot is of Laura calling the cops, and her final line? “I’m Laura Mars.” If there is any shred of happy ending to this story, it might be that she has to rip out that fucking bloodstained carpet. Maybe there’s a nice parquet floor under there? I know that hating on carpeting is low-pile fruit, but there is just no way for mere mortals to keep wall-to-wall carpeting from getting disgusting.

Interesting fact: John Carpenter wrote the spec script for this film, but Kershner’s finished product took some hot turns in the rewrite. Carpenter was still credited despite his protests, but luckily the mixed reviews didn’t affect the success of his next project, Halloween. It’s been nice to revisit some giallo, although I think I’m going to go back to the real-deal Italian giallo next month. I might also be leaving this platform, as sad as that makes me. Tumblr has been doing some bullshit flagging of posts that are very LGBTQ-unfriendly, and well, they are also buggy as hell. I had this post written a week ago but the site kept crashing as I was trying to update. At any rate, stay tuned for any updates, or as I likely know all three of you reading this, I’ll let you know if there’s a new site.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Halloween (2018)

2018’s Halloween isn’t the first time we’ve received a sequel years later with a now-mature cast of characters. It isn’t even the first time this slasher franchise has done it, but are the results the breath of fresh air we’ve been waiting for, or just another Halloween H20?

Forty years after Michael Myers' rampage, the killer is about to be moved to a different facility when he escapes. Hearing this, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) insists he is coming for her. This time, however, she’s ready. For years, Strode has been preparing her home, her estranged daughter (Judy Greer) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak) for Michael’s return.

Dispensing with all of the sequels, the puzzlingly-titled Halloween is simply a sequel to the 1978 film. Don’t let that title fool you. This is a follow-up, and a good one. The characters’ actions are built upon what happened to them before. Myers (or as he is referred to in the credits, “The Shape”) has been in a state of "hibernation", biding his time until he can once again strike. Meanwhile, Strode's trauma has transformed her into a gun-toting survivalist who has installed extensive security measures into her home. While you wait to see their inevitable showdown, director David Gordon Green shows off plenty of gore as Michael dispatches unsuspecting civilians in increasingly gruesome ways.

What struck me is the attention to detail. Like before, we never see Myers’ face, and the killer’s motivations are left terrifyingly vague. Certain shots from the original picture are replicated but then reversed to put Strode in Michael’s place, or vice versa. Even the pumpkin shown in the intro credits – the best opening sequence outside of a James Bond movie since say… Monsters, Inc.? – is a perfect replica of the one from 1978. Then there’s the music, which reuses John Carpenter’s theme and expands on it when appropriate – I’m buying it to play next Wednesday when the trick-or-treaters come. There’s even a nod to Halloween 3: Season of the Witch!

If the beginning may seem a bit slow, give it time. It’s building towards a number of great shots that highlight Michael’s possibly supernatural abilities and the climax is thick with suspense. I love the way it plays with the idea that Michael may be the literal Boogeyman by hiding him in the dark and in closets. These all prove writers Jeff Fradley, Danny McBride, and Green love the original film but, more importantly, understand why it’s so effective.

2018’s Halloween is sure to please the series' fans. It also offers a good number of horrifying visuals, good tension and interesting turns for those who are a little hazier about the series’ mythology and its trademark killer. I like 1981’s Halloween II but this is a better film and a great pic if you want some chills this October. (Theatrical version on the big screen, October 24, 2018)

[oscar-isaacs-number-one-bitch]

“Halloween” (2018) Movie Review

Halloween (2018) is the newest entry in the popular film franchise and is the direct sequel to John Carpenter’s 1978 original film, erasing all previous iterations in the Carpenter timeline as well as entirely ignoring the alternate timeline created by Rob Zombie. In this installment, which is directed by David Gordon Green, Michael Myers has been locked away in a high security detention facility, ever since the night he murdered three teenagers in the town of Haddonfield. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) was the only one of his would-be victims to survive. After the bus transferring Michael to another facility crashes on an isolated road on Halloween night, he escapes. But he’s not the only one who was hoping that would happen. Laurie has been preparing for this night for the past 40 years, training herself and her family for Michael’s return, so she can kill him and put an end to this evil, to this Boogeyman, once and for all.

Having just watched the original Halloween for the first time last night, I can say without doubt that while I certainly do respect its legacy as a classic of the horror genre (and I am sure it was terrifying in 1978), I didn’t find it to be particularly scary. What I find it to be was a particularly well-made slasher film with great camerawork and an instantly iconic score by director John Carpenter. So when I went in to see Halloween (2018), I had fairly high expectations for what a direct sequel could bring to the table, especially considering the balls it must take to dare erase the entirety of the original timeline continuity and claim that this is the true sequel the original movie never got. And I’m happy to say that for the most part, those expectations were fairly well met.

The brilliant thing about the Halloween franchise is that it doesn’t base its horror elements in anything necessarily supernatural, but in the unknowns of a slasher series. The original 1978 movie took its time setting up all the elements for the fun murder stuff the audience wanted to see in order to establish that a character like Michael is more methodical about his approach to murder, but when one considers that in 2018 most audiences are more anxious than ever to “get to the good stuff,” taking your time with a bunch of over-the-shoulders of Michael just standing at a distance from his would-be victims simply won’t make for a great horror experience. Plus, if an unfeeling killer were sitting in prison for 40 years after his biggest night, it wouldn’t make a ton of logical sense for him to just keep biding his time when he finally gets the chance to kill again. After all, in the original film, he kills just one person at 6, and then after his subsequent escape, kills 3. That’s an exponential growth.

Halloween (2018), then, sensibly opts for a far more energetic approach to the whole endeavor. By pitting Curtis’s more mature, vengeful Laurie Strode against a Michael Myers who’s been sitting on the last vestiges of his murder fix for 40+ years, the film end up giving the audience a time bomb scenario wherein these characters are not only bound to meet, but at least one of them is bound to die. This also allows Michael to get straight to what he’s been missing all this time, thus giving the audience a good bit of fun to have before these two characters clash.

It's all shot incredibly well, with director David Gordon Green and DP Michael Simmonds framing the set pieces as if they were production design show-off shots, the scene geography not only making sense but adding to the tension of the immediate moment, as any good horror should do. There’s even one shot which calls back to a specific point of reference in the film that doesn’t go the way you might expect it to. The score is also improved this time around, with the iconic original theme proving a not only welcome but desperately necessary reminder that not only is this not the Rob Zombie timeline, the John Carpenter timeline has been reset and corrected. It’s essentially the musical equivalent of Bryan Singer having come back to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past and reusing the theme created by John Ottman (Bryan Singer ended up being a piece of human garbage and Apocalypse sucked, but it was a good moment at the time).

Unfortunately though, the movie isn’t exactly perfect, and where it succeeds at being a fun horror successor to a fun horror classic, it fails at being a sequel to that fun horror classic. Sequels are supposed to grow the characters, but in Halloween (2018), not only do they not build on Laurie Strode apart from saying she’s kind of a badass now, they barely spend enough time with her to establish that as part of her character; really, that was mostly taken care of by the marketing department. Most of the movie is spent not with Laurie, but divided between two different storylines based around the lives of Laurie’s daughter (Judy Greer) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak). Credit to Matichak for absolutely crushing it in her first major blockbuster film appearance, and to Greer for being Judy Greer essentially (and pulling off a pretty sweet moment late in the third act), but basing the character development of Laurie off of what these two characters say about her, rather than just showing us, doesn’t make for great writing.

It's all well and good that the set-pieces are great and that the iconic stuff from the 1978 movie is back (including some of, and some allusions to, the original cast members), but without proper character development, the nostalgia and set-pieces become the only thing really holding the film together if not for the actors’ great performances. A proper sequel should be able to stand on its own apart from the original but still have enough there to make fans who saw the original pleased that they went along for the ride. Halloween (2018) unfortunately can’t stand apart from the original at all as most of the character development with the new Strode girls is all tied back into what happened to Laurie in the original film, and Laurie has essentially 5% development in this movie. Still, it doesn’t break down completely upon re-visitation, and there’s something to be said for being able to say that among the throng of popular horror franchises getting new continuity-erasing sequels.

Ultimately, Halloween (2018) is not the best horror film you’ll see this year, and odds are it won’t land in the top 3 by year’s end, but it’s a healthy dose of slasher fun for anyone who was disappointed there was no gore in Venom but just doesn’t want to deal with the heavy handedness of all the other Oscar-season releases of the past few weeks. The set-pieces are great, the camerawork, score, and performances are pretty close to immaculate, and it’s a welcome entry in a franchise where the first one is definitely still the best one, but they’re going to keep making them anyway. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Jamie Lee Curtis show up everyone on screen like she owns the place? (She does.)

I’m giving “Halloween” (2018) an 8.2/10