Rate the Last Movie You Saw

[Sock Monkey]

I have been avoiding this mostly because I believe it is not a story that can be told well visually. Part one in both the miniseries and the movie were great. Part two went off the rails in the mini series and I was fearful the same would happen again. Chapter II was better than the miniseries but still failed to translate the story well. If I was to rate it I would say 2 to 2.5 stars.

I agree. I think my main issue with new IT movies, is that they felt "safe". I just never felt like there were any stakes in what was going on. I really think that IT would have been better as a one-season prestige TV show, with the narrative switching back and forth between the kids and the adults.

[Brian861]

I agree. I think my main issue with new IT movies, is that they felt "safe". I just never felt like there were any stakes in what was going on. I really think that IT would have been better as a one-season prestige TV show, with the narrative switching back and forth between the kids and the adults.

Completely this.

[JJ123]

Color Out of Space, with Nicolas Cage. Thought it was pretty cool as it got going. Never read the Lovecraft tale, will have to remedy that soon.

I am currently watching a movie called Haunters, I believe is the title, on Shudder (or, AMC+). Not sure what to make of one part of it. Seems to be a documentary on haunted houses that pop up during Halloween, and sort of reminds me of the fictional October film. However, I'm not sure if I am to take the part about the over-the-top attraction as real or not.

[Sock Monkey]

Color Out of Space, with Nicolas Cage. Thought it was pretty cool as it got going. Never read the Lovecraft tale, will have to remedy that soon.

I am currently watching a movie called Haunters, I believe is the title, on Shudder (or, AMC+). Not sure what to make of one part of it. Seems to be a documentary on haunted houses that pop up during Halloween, and sort of reminds me of the fictional October film. However, I'm not sure if I am to take the part about the over-the-top attraction as real or not.

I really like COLOR OUT OF SPACE as well. It was planned to be the first part of a trilogy of Lovecraft adaptations by director Richard Stanley. Unfortunately, some allegations about Stanley has halted that plan.

Sounds like the second one is Haunters: The Art of the Scare. If so, I really liked that documentary. And, yes, the part detailing McKamey Manor is real. Why anybody would want to be kidnapped and put through what they do is beyond me. Fascinating stuff, though.

[TacomaDiver]

Family watched the new Netflix animated movie The Mitchells vs. The Machines. It was very enjoyable.

We watched this last week and it was a blast! I haven't had fun watching a movie like that in quite some time. Highly recommend this to anyone.

[TacomaDiver]

Finally got around to watching IT Chapter II. Think I may just be in a bad mood as I didn't care for it much. They spent way to much time on special effects and not enough on the actual story. I think they somehow missed the mark on this one.

For everything that worked in Part 1, there was something that didn't work in Part 2.

Personally, I just found Part 2 boring which was so disappointing because I had a hell of a good time with Part 1. I was disappointed we didn't see Part 2 in the theaters, but I'm much happier only spending $5 on the bluray after watching it.

(My wife, who HATES horror, saw Part 1 in the theater with me. She's a good one. Well, upon rewatch, she commented on how much of the movie she missed by closing her eyes and trying to hide, so it was pretty much a new movie for her.)

[JJ123]

Sock Monkey, thanks for the reply. Amazing that it is real. I agree, makes no sense that people want to do it (I assume they pay for the privilege, too?) and that it is legally allowed. Quite strange. I hope somehow the other Lovecraft films get made, perhaps with different talent.

[Sock Monkey]

Sock Monkey, thanks for the reply. Amazing that it is real. I agree, makes no sense that people want to do it (I assume they pay for the privilege, too?) and that it is legally allowed. Quite strange. I hope somehow the other Lovecraft films get made, perhaps with different talent.

The last I heard, there was like a year long wait list and in lieu of payment attendees are to donate dog food to local
animal shelter. I don’t know if these are still true and accurate or how COVID has impacted them.

I hope for more Lovecraft adaptations as well. I would have loved to have seen Del Toro’s adaptation of At The Mountains of Madness. A podcast, Best Movies Never Made, covered an failed adaptation in detail, but I don’t recall if it was Del Toro’s. Really interesting though.

[Martin]

Watched 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' last night. A few elements were changed for the movie and a couple of loose ends are left with the changes. Overall a good movie that is action packed and stays true to the story.

[JJ123]

I'll have to check out Those Who Wish Me Dead. The trailer/promotion didn't resonate with me, but perhaps I should give it a try.

I just finished watching Phantasm on the Joe Bob Briggs Christmas special. Believe it or not, first time I ever saw it after obviously hearing all the references over the years (Tall Man, killer flying spheres, etc.). Briggs of course is always entertaining and smart in presentation. The movie itself was actually cool, if a bit slow and disorienting in terms of the way it was put together. I had a previous idea as to how the plot would go, something I assumed over the years, and was pleasantly surprised that it was completely different. I'll say this: they don't make movies like this anymore, which is ultimately a good thing - and what I mean by that is, movies simply are better made these days. However, I actually had a fun, relaxing time watching this, and enjoyed the change in pace compared to today's quick-cut slick-fests. Every once in a while (actually, more than once-in-a-while, I'm sure everyone will agree) you need to go back to your Fangoria-magazine days and forget all the current franchises and all the fun anthologies you find on today's streaming networks and just settle in for an older way of doing things.

Liked the whole planet thing, the Jawas, all of that. And the characters were fun...Reggie is great. I was disappointed that Briggs would not show the second movie, so I have to go to the third and fourth one and then track down the second one later. (This episode was a marathon of the series for Christmas Eve, or thereabouts, the year it was released, which I think was 2018...?) For those who may have seen this marathon, you may recall Briggs said he wouldn't play it because he was offended by the destruction of a rare vehicle by the filmmakers...I'm guessing that was a joke? As in, the second film was out of licensing range at the time? Who knows. But, yes, while not perfect, I enjoyed this nostalgic trip back to 1979 horror cinema. (And, interestingly, unless I missed it, while Briggs dissected many of the surreal elements of the movie and really dug into it with humorous analytical wit, the scene that really stuck with me was the one with the fortuneteller...she had that Dune-like box that magically disappeared! That would have been worth a whole verbal essay on its own.)

[sholloman81]

I'll have to check out Those Who Wish Me Dead. The trailer/promotion didn't resonate with me, but perhaps I should give it a try.

I just finished watching Phantasm on the Joe Bob Briggs Christmas special. Believe it or not, first time I ever saw it after obviously hearing all the references over the years (Tall Man, killer flying spheres, etc.). Briggs of course is always entertaining and smart in presentation. The movie itself was actually cool, if a bit slow and disorienting in terms of the way it was put together. I had a previous idea as to how the plot would go, something I assumed over the years, and was pleasantly surprised that it was completely different. I'll say this: they don't make movies like this anymore, which is ultimately a good thing - and what I mean by that is, movies simply are better made these days. However, I actually had a fun, relaxing time watching this, and enjoyed the change in pace compared to today's quick-cut slick-fests. Every once in a while (actually, more than once-in-a-while, I'm sure everyone will agree) you need to go back to your Fangoria-magazine days and forget all the current franchises and all the fun anthologies you find on today's streaming networks and just settle in for an older way of doing things.

Liked the whole planet thing, the Jawas, all of that. And the characters were fun...Reggie is great. I was disappointed that Briggs would not show the second movie, so I have to go to the third and fourth one and then track down the second one later. (This episode was a marathon of the series for Christmas Eve, or thereabouts, the year it was released, which I think was 2018...?) For those who may have seen this marathon, you may recall Briggs said he wouldn't play it because he was offended by the destruction of a rare vehicle by the filmmakers...I'm guessing that was a joke? As in, the second film was out of licensing range at the time? Who knows. But, yes, while not perfect, I enjoyed this nostalgic trip back to 1979 horror cinema. (And, interestingly, unless I missed it, while Briggs dissected many of the surreal elements of the movie and really dug into it with humorous analytical wit, the scene that really stuck with me was the one with the fortuneteller...she had that Dune-like box that magically disappeared! That would have been worth a whole verbal essay on its own.)

I have always liked Phantasm. As you mention, it is very different than your typical horror movie. That's funny that Joe Bob Briggs wouldn't play the second movie as I personally think that it is the only one of the sequels worth watching. I would check out part two before watching three and four. To me, three and four are very different from the first two films in the series in both tone and content.

[mhatchett]

One of my favorite Horror Films from that era.

[RonClinton]

Saw My Octopus Teacher on Netflix a couple days ago...really outstanding documentary.

[TacomaDiver]

Saw My Octopus Teacher on Netflix a couple days ago...really outstanding documentary.

That was an AMAZING documentary.

[Sock Monkey]

I agree about My Octopus Teacher. What a great doc. I was wondering if I could get into at the outset, but, man, I got sucked in.