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[big ander]

read that as "The Lair of the White Woman"

I was like "show me the way breh"

I mean the seductress character spends the movie draped in various silk robes and lingere—that is, when she's not tanning nude or topless and covered in paint. This may be exactly the lair you're looking for

if only russell had made films in with the economy (or style) of corman. the passion for the release of the devils might be most mis-placed energy this side of the horror movie soundtrack community / mondo posters communities.

Lair isn't economic no arguments there, I thought it had flair though. The video sequences in particular were terrifying and salacious and novel.

I know close to zero about the whole The Devils ordeal. Just that it was banned at some point somewhere, and that critics with fair batting averages on trustworthiness like Ehrlich have called it excellent. I've heard much more hype around Altered States over the years.

 

[obin_gam]

Just saw Witching & Bitching (terrible translation of the original: Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (witch is: "The Witches of Zugarramurdi)

I fantastically fun movie in which some guys rob a gold store and takes flight, and ends up in a large house where there are witches wanting to eat them. Think of it like a spanish "From Dusk Til Dawn", and it gets crazier by the minute. Loved it. It's gory, action packed, funny, weird and all in all great entertainment.

 

[UrbanRats]

Just saw Witching & Bitching (terrible translation of the original: Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (witch is: "The Witches of Zugarramurdi)


I fantastically fun movie in which some guys rob a gold store and takes flight, and ends up in a large house where there are witches wanting to eat them. Think of it like a spanish "From Dusk Til Dawn", and it gets crazier by the minute. Loved it. It's gory, action packed, funny, weird and all in all great entertainment.

Gonna watch that.
I found La Comunidad and Crimen Perfecto a lot of fun.

I know close to zero about the whole The Devils ordeal. Just that it was banned at some point somewhere, and that critics with fair batting averages on trustworthiness like Ehrlich have called it excellent. I've heard much more hype around Altered States over the years.

I don't follow the whole community thing behind it (or any other film, really) but i though it was very interesting and entertaining.
I wouldn't mind having the original cut, so i'm not sure why it's misplaced energy, though again, i have no perception of how "hyped" or not it really is.

 

[User 479360]

Téa Leoni tho...

She did look fantastic in that movie.

 

[Elitist1945]

This is the End: Not sure why it took so late to see this, but it was fucking hilarious - 9/10

Neighbours: Literally the same as above, but funnier - 10/10

Pineapple Express: I totally watched these movies as backwards, and because of that, this film was the least funny out of the 3 - 8/10

 

[brau]

Watched The Guest.

What a great movie. Loved the whole scenario, how little they really tell you, the acting, and the music went really well. The whole 80s vibe of the movie. Reminded me a lot of Hot Line Miami for some reason.

Anyways. Thumbs up, i recommend.

 

[Lord Panda]

The Tale of Princess Kaguya, from Studio Ghibli.

One of the best movies I've seen.

 

[A Human Becoming]

I'm going to see a movie on Christmas. These are the ones I'm looking at:

• Birdman
• Foxcatcher
• The Imitation Game
• Wild

Which one shoud I choose? I want to see all of them.

 

[daveo42]

I watched Funeral Parade of Roses over the weekend. By the end of the film, most of it made some sort of sense outside of the

Spoiler

pseudo/actual documentary sprinkled in to the plot of the film.

As out there as it seems, it was definitely a good watch and an interesting look into a subculture that was gaining traction in the 60s and did a decent job of showcasing it other than

Spoiler

the copious amounts of sex and partners involved, though that might be from the culture at the time, not specifically of the subculture itself.

 

[freeofgreed]

Just watched Leon: The Professional, what an amazing film. Practically flawless imo. My only minor problem with the film was that the middle part was a bit too long and that most of the action occured at the beginning and the end. But I watched the extended version, and apparently the theatrical version doesn't have this flaw. But other then that this movie was just perfect, I loved it. Jean Reno was amazing, Gary Oldman was amazing though I do wish we saw more of him in the film, and Natalie Portman probably gave the best performance of her career here! Also funny fact TIL that the extended version actually tested really well in Japan and that was the version that was shown in theaters there

Spoiler

hmm I wonder why

 

[vatstep]

I'm going to see a movie on Christmas. These are the ones I'm looking at:

• Birdman
• Foxcatcher
• The Imitation Game
• Wild

Which one shoud I choose? I want to see all of them.

Can't comment on the other two, but DEFINITELY see Birdman before Foxcatcher. The latter was rather disappointing.

 

[Infernostew]

I'm going to see a movie on Christmas. These are the ones I'm looking at:

• Birdman
• Foxcatcher
• The Imitation Game
• Wild

Which one shoud I choose? I want to see all of them.

Definitely Birdman. I've seen Foxcatcher and Imitation Game and they're not nearly as good.

 

[Divius]

I've seen none of those yet, but Birdman would be my choice.

 

[Clipjoint]

Just watched Leon: The Professional, what an amazing film. Practically flawless imo. My only minor problem with the film was that the middle part was a bit too long and that most of the action occured at the beginning and the end. But I watched the extended version, and apparently the theatrical version doesn't have this flaw. But other then that this movie was just perfect, I loved it. Jean Reno was amazing, Gary Oldman was amazing though I do wish we saw more of him in the film, and Natalie Portman probably gave the best performance of her career here! Also funny fact TIL that the extended version actually tested really well in Japan and that was the version that was shown in theaters there

Spoiler

hmm I wonder why

Extended version is the superior version.

 

[Infernostew]

About to see Exodus... This could be just awful

 

[overcast]

Inherent Vice:
This movie was incredibly tough to follow. Lost me a bit about 35-40 minutes in. Thought it was incredibly well acted by Phoenix and Brolin. Had a great vibe, and it was so bizarre. Like in a catalogue of strange movies, I think this one might have been PTA's weirdest. Love the narration here, but that's because I love Newsom. More than any other movie in a while I wanted to watch it pretty soon after. I wasn't incredibly impressed at first, but it was a good movie that I need to see again.

The Babadook:
Had no idea what to expect going in. Thought this was just great. What an unsettling movie. I don't really want to spoil it but it really nailed that core element of the Mother/Son relationship. Great performances and some memorably chilling moments. It wasn't anything unique in the genre, but it did the normal really well. Ending is the only part I'm not too sure about. I "get it", I'm just not sure where I stand.

I really need to see a lot of other 2014 films. Curse living away from the big cities.

 

[Spieler Eins]

They Live

Social satire featuring pissed off wrestlers might be one of the best ideas ever conceived.

Extended version is the superior version.

I was shocked to find out that there's an version with character development practically removed.

 

[jett]

The Guest (2014)

Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame stars as a discharged soldier that visits a fallen brother's home to pay respects to his family. Pretty soon however you realize there's something deeply wrong with this guy. This is one of the weirdest fucking movies I've seen recently. First half of it is a somewhat unsettling thriller-like 80's throwback movie and then makes a seriously left turn. Really fun if you're okay with something that's also really strange. Stylishly shot and has a really awesome 80's flavored soundtrack.

It's refreshing going in blind into a movie. I only watched this cuz I was a fan of Stevens from Downton Abbey, I hadn't even seen a trailer for this.

 

[A Human Becoming]

Can't comment on the other two, but DEFINITELY see Birdman before Foxcatcher. The latter was rather disappointing.

Definitely Birdman. I've seen Foxcatcher and Imitation Game and they're not nearly as good.

I've seen none of those yet, but Birdman would be my choice.

Birdman it is. Sucks the only showing is at 9:30PM. At least the drive home is 90% highway.

 

[Jables Swan]

Are we having a best movie of 2014 thread this year?

 

[big ander]

Are we having a best movie of 2014 thread this year?

thread always goes up mid january. gives other countries time to catch up so the pool of films being voted on is about the same

 

[Jables Swan]

thread always goes up mid january. gives other countries time to catch up so the pool of films being voted on is about the same

Excellent. I have time to catch up on some flicks then.

 

[freeofgreed]

Just saw a movie called Tokyo! It's and anthology film by 3 non Japanese directors about....well Tokyo. The first film is about a couple from the country side who move to Tokyo with limited funds, it starts off pretty normally and then it gets...weird. The second one is appropriately named "Shit" and I'd suggest if you watch this to skip this one because it was terrible. The last one is about a Hikikomori (antisocial people who never leave their house) this one is also pretty weird but it's a nice story. Overall I was hoping for a bit more from the film, the first and last 2 stories are okay, so if you have any interest in Tokyo or Japanese culture you may like this film.

 

[UrbanRats]

Wut? "Shit" is the only one i liked!
The third one from Bong Joon-Ho was particularly bad, in my opinion.

 

[teruterubozu]

The Lair of the White Worm - 3.5/5 what the fuck. Like a Corman b-horror adaptation (this is taken from a Stoker tale) interspersed with Jodorowsky insanity. Orphaned sisters, who've taken over the B&B their parents ran before mysteriously disappearing nearby, get friendly with a boarder who's doing an archaeology project in their yard. He discovers a serpentine skull, pagan symbols, ancient coins. Then they go to a party celebrating a local holiday, where the ancestors of an eccentric and rich young lord (hugh grant) supposedly killed the local dragon by cutting it in half. There's a folk rock song explaining the tale. The archaeologist and one of the sisters see a mysterious car on their walk back home—the rarely-seen Lady Sylvia Marsh. From there? Femdom fetishization, dildos, hermaphrodites, dick jokes, religious fuckery, nightmare sequences filmed on video with terrible effects, nuns, venom puns, castration. This is my first Ken Russell film (The Devils, Altered States been on the watchlist for a long while) and if his others have half the insanity I'll be pleased.

Never thought I'd see a review for Lair of the White Worm in here. Honestly, it's one of the better Ken Russell films. It's very Lovecraftian, but yeah it's nuts. Gothic is another Russell film in the same vein - it centers on the horror fiction contest with Lord Byron, Julian Sands, Mary Shellley (when she wrote Frankenstein), etc. Altered States is the most "normal" movie he produced, but just as insane in delivery.

 

[Daniel B·]

47 Ronin. Given the bad reviews, I was expecting a real turkey, but it was perfectly fine and in isolation (to alternate plots), Keanu's "half breed" role was entirely integral to the movie and felt in no way "bolted on" (he's in most scenes). Had some quite cool effects too, in an overall quality production. 3/5.

 

[overcast]

thread always goes up mid january. gives other countries time to catch up so the pool of films being voted on is about the same

This is good cause people also start getting hyped for Oscar season and w/e. So more people want their opinion out there.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

I posted the last two after the Oscar nominations.

 

[BaronLundi]

Paging Sculli... Paging Sculli...

 

[thisbeard]

Black Christmas - I had the opportunity to watch this in a little local art gallery last weekend and i'm really glad I took it. I helped myself to some home made eggnog, spiked it with some Canadian Whiskey and settled in my seat. Great ambiance.

Full disclosure : I am a Canadian but I had never heard of this retro gem before.

This is one of the first slasher horror movies made and it was directed by a Canadian guy with a relatively low budget, in Toronto. I'll keep this spoiler free and keep it short but those of you interested in mid 70's color horror flicks that are extremely frightening and pretty funny, look no further! Checking it out while it's in the yuletide season is awesome and I highly recomend it. Nevermind the Gremlins poster, though that one is awesome too...

 

[Linius]

Paging Sculli... Paging Sculli...

Very nice. Gotta get that. Haven't seen it yet.

 

[Meliorism]

Can't comment on the other two, but DEFINITELY see Birdman before Foxcatcher. The latter was rather disappointing.

I've seen only those two as well and would definitely take Foxcatcher over Birdman more so because I disliked Birdman so much. Though, I didn't really get the disappointment with Foxcatcher either. No prior experience with Miller, but this was fine. C Tates and Ruff are great, and Carrell is pretty creepy but also funny, too???

Knowledge of the events beforehand might have put a damper on what could've been an interesting experience otherwise, but I'm not really a believer of that personally.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Foxcatcher was fucking great. Extremely unsettling, with great use of close ups for added claustrophobia and excellent performances from the three key actors. It's a pretty disturbing and uncomfortable movie though, so stay away if you're looking for a feel good holiday movie.

 

[vatstep]

I liked Foxcatcher, it was just very dry and felt extremely long; I guess my expectations were high. The performances were fantastic, but everything else left me cold.

 

[big ander]

Just saw a movie called Tokyo! It's and anthology film by 3 non Japanese directors about....well Tokyo. The first film is about a couple from the country side who move to Tokyo with limited funds, it starts off pretty normally and then it gets...weird. The second one is appropriately named "Shit" and I'd suggest if you watch this to skip this one because it was terrible. The last one is about a Hikikomori (antisocial people who never leave their house) this one is also pretty weird but it's a nice story. Overall I was hoping for a bit more from the film, the first and last 2 stories are okay, so if you have any interest in Tokyo or Japanese culture you may like this film.

Wut? "Shit" is the only one i liked!
The third one from Bong Joon-Ho was particularly bad, in my opinion.

for me, the Gondry > the Carax* >>>>> the Bong. I don't think the movie is particularly good and it doesn't really make sense as an anthology film at all. like, it's not as if they use elements of Tokyo's geography or architecture in each of the stories. they all just happen to take place in Tokyo and have zero thematic overlap otherwise.
*for some reason I find it important to note that the second segment isn't really titled "Shit"— in that yes, the title is "Merde" but it's not translated across releases. The character's name is Merde. like if a short or movie were titled José originally it'd be silly for an italian-speaking viewer to call it Giuseppe or an english-speaking viewer to be like "so I watched this movie Joey the other night"

Never thought I'd see a review for Lair of the White Worm in here. Honestly, it's one of the better Ken Russell films. It's very Lovecraftian, but yeah it's nuts. Gothic is another Russell film in the same vein - it centers on the horror fiction contest with Lord Byron, Julian Sands, Mary Shellley (when she wrote Frankenstein), etc. Altered States is the most "normal" movie he produced, but just as insane in delivery.

Gothic's on the list then, his movies seem like they'll be relatively easy to go through so I'm gonna see what's on netflix dvd

 

[Auctopus]

Just saw 'The Theory of Everything'...

The film was pretty good but Eddie Redmayne's performance is absolutely incredible, would be disappointed to not see an Oscar nom.

Also saw... 'The Drop'...

Fell asleep half way through but had already predicted the ending.

 

[Serpentine]

I saw Birdman and liked it a lot more than i was expecting, given that i was super hyped for it and then i read/heard some stuff about it. It's definitely not as smart as it thinks it is (the dialogue especially) but I liked how it was made to look like one continuous shot, that was cool. Great performances from everyone too.

 

[DAVIDHUXLEY]

Black Christmas - I had the opportunity to watch this in a little local art gallery last weekend and i'm really glad I took it. I helped myself to some home made eggnog, spiked it with some Canadian Whiskey and settled in my seat. Great ambiance.

Full disclosure : I am a Canadian but I had never heard of this retro gem before.

This is one of the first slasher horror movies made and it was directed by a Canadian guy with a relatively low budget, in Toronto. I'll keep this spoiler free and keep it short but those of you interested in mid 70's color horror flicks that are extremely frightening and pretty funny, look no further! Checking it out while it's in the yuletide season is awesome and I highly recomend it. Nevermind the Gremlins poster, though that one is awesome too...

The director of Black Christmas also made A Christmas Story so he has the entire Xmas spectrum covered.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

Black Christmas was surprisingly good as a genre progenitor.

The bit with the phone calls is haunting.

 

[User 479360]

Black Christmas is a personal favourite. It's been my favourite horror movie since I first watched it. A gem, indeed.

The remake...well, that's a vile, bastardizing piece of monkey shit.

 

[Gobias]

I just picked up Akira and I've never seen it before. Should I watch the one with the new English dub, the old English dub, or the sub?

 

[Infernostew]

I was really hoping to line up a nice pre-Christmas marathon this year. But alas, work and other stuff around holidays kept me from doing so. Post-Christmas Gremlins (probably 2 also), Bad Santa and Die Hard will be coming. Really wanted to do some Christmas horror but it wasn't in the cards.

 

[faridmon]

Also saw... 'The Drop'...



Fell asleep half way through but had already predicted the ending.

facepalm

The point of the whole movie is the journey not the actual ending. Tom Hardy was absolutely phenomenal and some of the cinematography was crazily good. The atmosphere, the soundtrack and the acting all contributed to one of the best subtle thrillers I have watched in years. The story once you unfolded is actually quite simple and straightforward, but the way it was told, I actually couldn't believe they made a whole movie out of it, yet it turned out fantastic.

Its a very European drama, and if you never found them good, you won't like it here either.

Top 5 movie of the year for me.

As for me, I have watchd The 2nd Hobbit movie in order to get ready for the last one. I kind of liked it, some of the action scenes were well choreographed and the the characters are still endearing to watch, although they tend to be annoying when they speak, especially those elves. I really didn't like the last part of the movie (with the dragon) but I am still fairly excited about the 3rd one now.

 

[Alpende]

Gone Girl

What. A. Movie. Loved it and everybody acting in it was great. Also, the soundtrack was amazing. Big spoiler:

Spoiler

The moment where she slits Desi's throat and that music kicks in and keeps building up, shit was scary.

 

[freeofgreed]

So I just watched Mad Max 2. I remember seeing the first one a few years ago, but I got bored with it and didn't finish it. Then the trailer for Fury Road came out a few weeks ago and it looked really good so I decided to check out 2 which I heard was the best one and it was amazing. I'm a huge proponent of practical effects over CGI so that just mad the film so much better. The action in this film was so awesome, the character designs were great and I liked the minimal use of dialogue in the film.

Also I knew that Fist of the North Star got a lot of inspiration from this film, but after watching it, it's crazy to see just how much was taken. Anyways this has me even more amped for Fury Road which will hopefully be just as good seeing as how it's from the same director.

 

[thenexus6]

Guardians of the Galaxy first time. It was good I guess. Fairly standard comic book, action blockbuster. So much cheese though.

Gone Girl So good, loved it at the cinema. Re-watched it tonight. Really hope it does well at oscars like it should.

 

[Auto-Reply]

I've just seen Fright Night (1985) on bluray again after a 20 years pause. This was one of my childhood favorite movies and I think it still holds up wonderfully. I'm not even phazed by the 80'ness and the fx.

Now I need to find the sequel on bluray and another important part of my forgotten VHS collection is restored!

 

[strafer]

The Drop

Damn good movie. Tom Hardy shines as always. Gandolfini also.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

The Guest was hilarious

Lance Reddick wins the MVP in this one, totally nailed that balance of pulp and parody, like a 21st century Dr. Loomis. His voice is so damn awesome.

 

[TestMonkey]

Sometimes I see too much. Saw Unbroken and it was an okay movie, America propaganda as expected, but the perfect hair at all times stood out.