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Jeff
Christian's #1 Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:25 pm Posts: 28110 Location: Awaiting my fate
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The Dark Shape wrote: Anyone who calls this the best film of the year when, in the last twelve months, we've had The Hills Have Eyes and The Descent, is a bit cracked.
Best film of the year? It isn't even the best horror film of the year.
_________________ See above.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:32 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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That's what I meant. Best horror film of the year. In response to makeshift.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:34 am |
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Jeff
Christian's #1 Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:25 pm Posts: 28110 Location: Awaiting my fate
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The Dark Shape wrote: That's what I meant. Best horror film of the year. In response to makeshift.
Oh.
Makeshift is crazy though so don't listen to him. Though...technically The Descent was a 2005 film.
_________________ See above.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:50 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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You're right. Even then, The Hills Have Eyes was much, MUCH better. If we're crediting this for being a send-up, Slither was also far superior.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 1:56 am |
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Jeff
Christian's #1 Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:25 pm Posts: 28110 Location: Awaiting my fate
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The Dark Shape wrote: You're right. Even then, The Hills Have Eyes was much, MUCH better. If we're crediting this for being a send-up, Slither was also far superior.
I agree. Slither was far superior, though it was "less" of a horror movie. Black Christmas really was a horror movie through and through. Slither I'd say was much more of a horror-comedy ...
Anyway, the best of the year was (I guess) The Hills Have Eyes followed by... maybe Saw III and Slither. It hasn't been a good year in my opinion for horror films.
_________________ See above.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:00 am |
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MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
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I'm sure Makeshift wasn't counting The Descent, but I don't think this was that much worse then The Hills Have Eyes. The editing was a lot stronger in the former, but for gore and deaths Black Christmas really has it in the bag. It's goofy and unrealistic, but I never had a problem with the direction, and as makeshift said the cinematography was excellent. I almost feel like Dimension put out a few different copies of the film in the US, where some saw this incredibly entertaining ride and others saw the piece of shit we were all assuming it was. Or maybe that just has to do with people comparing it to the original.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:09 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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It's a fucked up slasher, nothing more. There's no ambition. It's incredibly stupid (human cookies? Impaled on a fuckin' Christmas tree?), the characters are unlikeable. It's not scary. Tension is missing. Not only is The Hills Have Eyes better, it's better by leaps and bounds.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:55 am |
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MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
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The Dark Shape wrote: It's a fucked up slasher, nothing more. There's no ambition. It's incredibly stupid (human cookies? Impaled on a fuckin' Christmas tree?), the characters are unlikeable. It's not scary. Tension is missing. Not only is The Hills Have Eyes better, it's better by leaps and bounds.
I found it to be suspenseful, and while I agree it didn't have a lot of logic at times, it wasn't trying to be taken very seriously. And it's not like The Hills Have Eyes is perfect. After the rape scene, there wasn't nearly as much tension, and the Civil War music almost makes it devolve into an action movie. But this isn't an argument I can win as to which is the better film - Aja beats this film and the shitty treatment Dimensions gave it. Now as to which was more entertaining, Black Christmas gets my vote.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:13 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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I'd argue Hills Have Eyes intentionally turns into a revenge movie after the trailer scene. And the 'Civil War music'? If you mean the Western twang, that's perfectly in line with the film's political commentary as Doug kills one of the mutant's with an American flag.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:22 am |
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MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
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The Dark Shape wrote: I'd argue Hills Have Eyes intentionally turns into a revenge movie after the trailer scene. And the 'Civil War music'? If you mean the Western twang, that's perfectly in line with the film's political commentary as Doug kills one of the mutant's with an American flag.
That's a valid point with the revenge angle, further evidence that these two films couldn't be further apart. As for the music, it felt very bombastic during several fights towards the end. You could use the same argument that it wasn't trying to be a straight horror movie at that point, but either way it wasn't especially thrilling.
I still wish the director had stayed onboard for The Hills Have Eyes 2. As is it'll probably be a weak rehash, but I think that the concept and execution showed a lot of potential for another, stronger entry.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:36 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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My expectations for Hills 2 aren't exactly high, considering I don't know the director and the general concept seems very "let's rush out a sequel!"-ish. I'm more excited about whatever Alexandre Aja does next.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:40 am |
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MovieDude
Where will you be?
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:50 am Posts: 11675
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The Dark Shape wrote: My expectations for Hills 2 aren't exactly high, considering I don't know the director and the general concept seems very "let's rush out a sequel!"-ish. I'm more excited about whatever Alexandre Aja does next.
I've heard the German film he made that got him the gig was very well filmed, but then again so was Silent Hill. The whole Fox Atomic thing just really doesn't strike me in a good way - it seems like this is where Fox will release it's low grade stuff that it doesn't want to risk putting the regular 20th Century Fox logo with.
Doesn't his next film have something to do with mirrors? It's a neat concept, and there isn't an object you could get a better scare out of. IMDB says it's going to start shooting this month too.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:52 am |
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makeshift
Teenage Dream
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:20 am Posts: 9247
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I actually meant to say one of the best, but oh well...
No, I wasn't counting The Descent, and yeah... Hills and Slither are both better films.
I gave all three of them (Hills, Slither, and Black Christmas) three stars, though.
It's been a weak year for horror.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:10 pm |
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Jeff
Christian's #1 Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:25 pm Posts: 28110 Location: Awaiting my fate
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The entire way through Black Christmas I kept thinking...
Wow, add a few more nude scenes, gratuitious shower scenes, maybe a sorority sister orgy ... slap on a "Playboy Presents" title and you've got a better movie on your hands -- even if it wouldn't appeal to me directly.
If it hadn't been for the subtle dark humor this movie would've gotten a D from me. But, the humor was enough to make it at least semi-enjoyable.
_________________ See above.
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Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:23 pm |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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Seriously, okay... what the fuck did I just pay to see?
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Fri Jan 05, 2007 3:12 am |
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zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
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I'd give this a solid B. I think it's far from one of the best horror films of the year, but it's really, really entertaining and I'm always up for a fun slasher flick.
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Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:56 am |
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coolmoviedude999
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:20 pm Posts: 1108
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Not only is this one of the worst films of the year, but it's now a Blockbuster exclusive for rentals? Seriously, who's half-baked idea was this?
Way to cut into the rental profits.
Fortunately, I'm not dying to rent it, but I found the exclusive rights on this dumb. It's a film that would rent very well on it's release week.
How disappointed those will be who sign up with B.B. just to rent this movie. It should be fine by electrocution.
_________________ 99.7% of the people involved in air and auto accidents ate bread within 6 months preceding the accident.
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Wed Apr 04, 2007 6:49 am |
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Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
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D
I saw it as part of my Christmas movies marathon yesterday and seriously, I didn't expect it to be THAT bad. I mean, I just geared myself for a stupid, inane, but entertaining slahser with gory deaths. But this movie not only rapes the original, it also proves to be a terrible movie on its own as well. There is not a single likeable character, really no one to be rooting for here. Sadly, I could not even root for the inane killers because they weren't vicious enough for my liking (at least some exaggerated deaths could have helped!).
Some parts of this film are flat-out ridiculus, others are just stupid. Why having two killers?! The whole incest aspect is idiotic and what made the original a good film was the complete anonymity of the killer, here you see the killers in almost every shot when they go at it and you know right away that there are two psycho-killers to begin with. Giving Billy a backstory and a stupid one at that was a really really really terrible decision and took all the remaining creepiness out of the character.
Now I do give some props for a couple of random deaths here and some random pieces of absurdity (making human cookies, all the eye-gouging, Michelle Trachtenberg's death...), but the rest simply has nothing going for it. The dialogue is simply terrible, even by horror movies' standards ("Fuck you, Santa Clause!" - the hell?!). If not for the hard R-rating, this would not have had any redeeming qualities at all. And just to think that this comes from the duo that brought us the creative and fun Final Destination...*shakes head*
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
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Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:06 pm |
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matatonio
Teh Mexican
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:56 pm Posts: 26066 Location: In good ol' Mexico
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
Yeah... Not good. It was rather funny at times
C-
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Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:46 am |
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makeshift
Teenage Dream
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:20 am Posts: 9247
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
I love it when people bump this thread.
I still extol the virtues of Black Christmas (2006) to this day. Horror movies always brag about pushing boundaries or knowing no boundaries, when in fact they are largely as pedestrian as any regular movie that shows at your local 38-screen multiplex.
Black Christmas (2006) is an exception to this. This movie is fucking crazy.
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Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:41 pm |
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Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
makeshift wrote: I love it when people bump this thread.
I still extol the virtues of Black Christmas (2006) to this day. Horror movies always brag about pushing boundaries or knowing no boundaries, when in fact they are largely as pedestrian as any regular movie that shows at your local 38-screen multiplex.
Black Christmas (2006) is an exception to this. This movie is fucking crazy. Really? I always respect your opinion when it comes to horror flick, makeshift, but I just can't get your love for this one. It didn't push the bondaries more than many low-budget and lesser-known horror flicks ever did before. I mean, hell, the remake of The Hills Have Eyes was harsher.
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
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Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:46 pm |
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makeshift
Teenage Dream
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:20 am Posts: 9247
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
Dr. Lecter wrote: makeshift wrote: I love it when people bump this thread.
I still extol the virtues of Black Christmas (2006) to this day. Horror movies always brag about pushing boundaries or knowing no boundaries, when in fact they are largely as pedestrian as any regular movie that shows at your local 38-screen multiplex.
Black Christmas (2006) is an exception to this. This movie is fucking crazy. Really? I always respect your opinion when it comes to horror flick, makeshift, but I just can't get your love for this one. It didn't push the bondaries more than many low-budget and lesser-known horror flicks ever did before. I mean, hell, the remake of The Hills Have Eyes was harsher. Hmmm... I don't know that I agree with you. I think one might be more inclined to call the Hills Have Eyes remake "harsher", but I think that would be more because of the gritty realism aesthetic. In reality, both movies deal with similarly disgusting themes. The difference is in their aesthetic. Gritty realism vs. surrealistic expressionism. Obviously the former lends itself to the idea of depravity more than the latter, but I think the employment of the latter qualifies my claim of Black Christmas (2006) being truly fucked up. It's fucked up not just because of the abhorrent content, but because of the bizarre and glorious aesthetic.
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Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:31 pm |
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kypade
Kypade
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:53 pm Posts: 7908
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
you make me want to see it : (
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Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:08 pm |
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Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
See it, kypade, if only to satisfy my curiousity for what you'd think of it!
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
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Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:59 pm |
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Mister Ecks
New Server, Same X
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:07 pm Posts: 28301 Location: ... siiiigh...
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 Re: Black Christmas (2006)
Saw this two years ago and thought it was okay. Rewatched it yesterday for Christmas viewing and liked it more this time around. It's no gem but it works.
_________________ Ecks Factor: Cancelled too soon
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Wed Dec 22, 2010 7:05 am |
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