Horror Cinema

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by MP-05

I remember my J3 experience vividly, too, because it was just a strange case...As far as the movie goes, I loved it myself, but then again, I was at that age where anything with SHARK! ...

Yeah, I was three going on four when this came out so it was the hot new Jaws when I was little. Plus, my family went to Sea World a bunch when I was little so the setting felt close to that. And I thought Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr were so cool. So, I loved it as a kid. Viewing it since then, I saw its flaws, but I still find it fun because of the setting (what a great idea to put a shark horror movie in a water park!) and the nostalgia. [And as you guys probably know, cheesy or dated effects are no hindrance to my enjoyment of an old movie.]

Originally Posted by MP-05

Jaws 2's biggest failure was that it's motivator was strictly a cash crop cash in . . .

Well, Jaws is one of many movies that should not have become a franchise, but since it did, I see something I like in all of the sequels (though least of all in #4).

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

Oh my LORD. A new super duper special edition of The Thing on bluray. Coming September 20th from Shout Factory. . .

I might have to upgrade even though I like the DVD I have. Shout Factory is a good distributor (both for their treatment of the films and for releasing some stuff that otherwise wouldn't be available except via VHS).

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I don't fuck around with The Thing.

[img][/img]

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

I don't fuck around with The Thing.

I like that you represent Arness and the Hawks' original (even though you're obviously more of a fan of the Carpenter remake). Every now and then I hear new stuff about how influential that movie was on later filmmakers, not only on obvious guys like Carpenter but I've even heard Romero and others cite it pretty highly.

Arness makes a great, spooky monster. Plus there's that classic last line, so famous now that it's a cliche spoof. When I did a double feature of 50s sci-fi horror for my film club, I discussed (mostly with my mother who remembers creature features well) using The Thing from Another World, but ultimately decided to recommend it but not show it.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

Oh come on, big daddy, at least make it a Ledger Joker meme. Lol

Originally Posted by Space Cop

Shout Factory is a good distributor (both for their treatment of the films and for releasing some stuff that otherwise wouldn't be available except via VHS).

I definitely second that statement. It was through Shout Factory that I was able to see the Japanese-only continuation of G1 Transformers (Headmasters, Super God Master Force, and Victory) for the first time in my life.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

I don't fuck around with The Thing.]

So basically

The Thing is to Dave
As
Doom is to Jeff

Correct?

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

I like that you represent Arness and the Hawks' original (even though you're obviously more of a fan of the Carpenter remake). Every now and then I hear new stuff about how influential that movie was on later filmmakers, not only on obvious guys like Carpenter but I've even heard Romero and others cite it pretty highly.

Arness makes a great, spooky monster. Plus there's that classic last line, so famous now that it's a cliche spoof. When I did a double feature of 50s sci-fi horror for my film club, I discussed (mostly with my mother who remembers creature features well) using The Thing from Another World, but ultimately decided to recommend it but not show it.

I love the Hawks/Nyby version. People may not realize it now, but it was a great film for it's time. Very well made. The Carpenter film is what makes me a fan, but I do have a lot of love for the '51 film. Hell, I even like the 2011 prequel.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Originally Posted by MP-05

So basically

The Thing is to Dave
As
Doom is to Jeff

Correct?

As far as horror films go it is. I have my little pantheon of favorites, Jaws, Star Wars, King Kong, etc, and The Thing is my favorite horror film and well in my overall top 10.

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

I love the Hawks/Nyby version. People may not realize it now, but it was a great film for it's time. Very well made. The Carpenter film is what makes me a fan, but I do have a lot of love for the '51 film. Hell, I even like the 2011 prequel.

I do too. It's not great, but it was pretty good and their attention to detail of the Carpenter film is amazing. I take it you've also read the original short story? I'm pretty sure I did at some point.

Despite departing from the original in many central ways (like a shape-shifting versus a vegetable monster), Carpenter picked one element that I think was key to both versions--the isolated, inhospitable, and foreign-to-most-of-us Arctic/Antarctic setting. That really set it apart from the Gothic castles of early horror and the teen-filled suburbs of the 80s slashers. In both, it really gives you this "you're f**ked" feeling.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

I do too. It's not great, but it was pretty good and their attention to detail of the Carpenter film is amazing. I take it you've also read the original short story? I'm pretty sure I did at some point.

Despite departing from the original in many central ways (like a shape-shifting versus a vegetable monster), Carpenter picked one element that I think was key to both versions--the isolated, inhospitable, and foreign-to-most-of-us Arctic/Antarctic setting. That really set it apart from the Gothic castles of early horror and the teen-filled suburbs of the 80s slashers. In both, it really gives you this "you're f**ked" feeling.

I have a couple of versions of "Who Goes There?", my gem being the original version it was first published in. In the first pic in the left corner is the 1938 issue of Astounding Science Fiction pulp magazine. That's the issue The Thing was originally published in. It took me years, but I found it from a Canadian dealer of sci fi and pulp magazines.

It's a decent story, warts and all. It has a lot of typos and grammatical errors, but still a fun read. It's very close to the Carpenter story, but with a much larger group of men as cast and cannon fodder.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

As far as horror films go it is. I have my little pantheon of favorites, Jaws, Star Wars, King Kong, etc, and The Thing is my favorite horror film and well in my overall top 10.

Actually, that might have been an incorrect analogy on my part since you are talking about an all-inclusive realm of The Thing and I'm just talking about a single character. Perhaps a more correct analogy would be:

(All encompassing) world of The Thing

Is equal to

(All encompassing) world of The Transformers

I dunno. Who cares. It's late. The dog is snoring. I've been up 20 hours straight. I cannot brain right now, I gots the dumbs.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Yeah, well I'm a REAL light sleeper Childs!

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

Yeah, well I'm a REAL light sleeper Childs!

Ha, I get it.

[KilowogsDisciple]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy Dave Targaryen I

Yeah, well I'm a REAL light sleeper Childs!

Incredible movie.

[BLACK HAND]

I think Halloween is Carpenter's best but this is a close second for sure. I'm also a huge EFNY fan.

[KilowogsDisciple]

Originally Posted by BLACK HAND

I think Halloween is Carpenter's best but this is a close second for sure. I'm also a huge EFNY fan.

Love them both. Escape is a Classic, too (the sequel was fun imo). Really seminal synth/soundtrack stuff there, too.

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by BLACK HAND

I think Halloween is Carpenter's best but this is a close second for sure. I'm also a huge EFNY fan.

I actually like both The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China more than Halloween. I'd have to admit, though, in a technical sense Halloween is a better achievement than BTiLC. The latter has a lot of cult/camp value to me. I probably watch it a couple times a year versus once every couple years with Halloween (though that may change if/when I get the set--I don't currently own Halloween).

[KilowogsDisciple]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

I actually like both The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China more than Halloween. I'd have to admit, though, in a technical sense Halloween is a better achievement than BTiLC. The latter has a lot of cult/camp value to me. I probably watch it a couple times a year versus once every couple years with Halloween (though that may change if/when I get the set--I don't currently own Halloween).

It's about a once-a-decade thing for me (I saw BTiLC back when I first came out...twice). But I'm smiling every time.

Halloween II was good, it just paled next to the original (not a lot that doesn't, first come to mind: Night of the Living Dead). And I thought III was pretty good, though I get crap about liking that movie...I'm honestly not sure why. It wasn't "Michael Meyers" Halloween, but a cool, creepy spookshow anyhoo imo.

It seemed to me the Halloween sequels after tried too hard. But I still throw on the ones with Pleasance every now and then.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

(I don't currently own Halloween).

Excuse me, sir? Hello, I'm Officer Voorhees. I'm going to have to ask you to please surrender your horror fan membership card; it's been revoked. You will be eligible for reapplication in 90 (ninety) days time once you have purchased one of the most defining movies of the genre, namely, Halloween. Until that time, you may NOT post in this thread.

[Space Cop]

^I know, right? I own nearly a thousand movies on DVD and BD. Somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of them are horror and yet I don't own Halloween.

It's not because I don't like it. In fact a big part of it was that I thought the first couple releases on DVD were crumby and I was waiting for a good release. Now, several good ones have come out, but I found I was either always catching it on TV or borrowing it from my friend, so I didn't bother. Now, I want that BD set of all the movies, but I don't have the bread.

[Agent Purple]

God-fucking-damnit, the Deluxe Edition is sold out. (Damn Dave probably bought every copy available by taking out a second mortgage on his house).


Gonna have to get the Collector's Edition.

[KilowogsDisciple]

Originally Posted by Agent Purple

God-fucking-damnit, the Deluxe Edition is sold out. (Damn Dave probably bought every copy available by taking out a second mortgage on his house).


Gonna have to get the Collector's Edition.

Have it. Reccomended. The sound makes all the difference, hope you have surround.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Agent Purple

(Damn Dave probably bought every copy available by taking out a second mortgage on his house).

He did take out the 2nd mortgage, but it wasn't for the movie- it was for the life size Han in Carbonite sculpture that only 500 were made of. And the Mrs still doesn't know about it.

[Mister.Weirdo]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

I actually like both The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China more than Halloween. I'd have to admit, though, in a technical sense Halloween is a better achievement than BTiLC. The latter has a lot of cult/camp value to me. I probably watch it a couple times a year versus once every couple years with Halloween (though that may change if/when I get the set--I don't currently own Halloween).

Same, my favorite Carpenter film isn't even Halloween. It's Escape From New York. I just dig the gritty look of the film. It's of course a bit silly, but it's a fun movie to watch. I especially love the synth score, probably the most of out of Carpenter's scores, even moreso then Halloween's score.

I also dig BTILC, which is campy over the top intentional fun.

[Mister.Weirdo]

Originally Posted by KilowogsDisciple

It's about a once-a-decade thing for me (I saw BTiLC back when I first came out...twice). But I'm smiling every time.

Halloween II was good, it just paled next to the original (not a lot that doesn't, first come to mind: Night of the Living Dead). And I thought III was pretty good, though I get crap about liking that movie...I'm honestly not sure why. It wasn't "Michael Meyers" Halloween, but a cool, creepy spookshow anyhoo imo.

It seemed to me the Halloween sequels after tried too hard. But I still throw on the ones with Pleasance every now and then.

Halloween IV is damn good. Easily my favorite of the Halloween sequels. It carries over a lot of the feel and atmosphere of the original. It even has a pretty awesome ending, which sadly the fifth film ignored.