MetaFilter posts tagged with horror and Film

I shared my flesh with thinking cancer

Artw — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:27:56 -0800

The Things - The Thing from the point of view of the thing, by Peter Watts (previously, previously, previously)

From the Dark

Artw — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:51:20 -0800

The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast talks to director Stuart Gordon about Herbert West - Reanimator (part 1, part 2). A prolific director, Gordon is responsible for some of the better adaptations of Lovecraft's work (and From Beyond). Currently he is directing Reanimator star Jeffrey Combs as Edgar Allan Poe in the one-man shoe Nevermore, which just finished a hugely successful run in LA and is now heading for Poe's hometown of Baltimore.

Oceansize

brundlefly — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:42:57 -0800

Oceansize is a short monster movie created by four animation students. Here's a version with English subtitles (although it's hardly necessary). [via]

Famous Monsters of Filmland

brundlefly — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:22:24 -0800

Famous Monsters of Filmland, the legendary genre magazine edited by the late Forrest J Ackerman (previously), will be resurrected by comic publisher IDW.

"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."

brundlefly — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:48:17 -0800

In order to promote their upcoming remake of The Wolf Man, Universal has launched Universal Monster Legacy (Flash with auto-playing audio), featuring music, posters, video clips and still galleries from the classic Universal Monster films. (via)

Would you like me to tell you the little story of right-hand/left-hand? The story of good and evil? H-A-T-E!

Artw — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:26:43 -0800

Robert McKee’s Unconvincing Story

More than 50 years of the big red blobby thing

filthy light thief — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:46:20 -0800

What's 51 years old and made of silicone with red food dye? The Blob, best known for it's work in The Blob, an independent film released in 1958, with Steve McQueen's second movie role (following Never Love a Stranger, which was released earlier that same year). The movie has been considered the definitive '50s film about a town that won't listen to the kids until it's too late (as noted in a review for the Criterion laserdisc release), with a super-catchy theme song (extended single version and b-side Saturday Night in Tiajuana) that was Burt Bacharach's third US hit song. (See more: theatrical trailer, full film on Veoh, full film as YouTube playlist) Times change, and so do monsters, and things got a bit wacky in the 1970s, with Beware! The Blob (aka Son of Blob; wiki, trailer, full film). The sequel played more to the slapstick comedy than the sci-fi/horror spectrum of things. Thirty years after the original, The Blob was remade in 1988 (wiki, trailer, full film), and is supposedly being re-created by Rob Zombie, though his statement about reviving The Blob without "the big red blobby thing" has people asking, then why remake The Blob? (previous blobby goodness) The Blob was not intended to be about Communism, according to the film's producer, Jack Harris, when he was interviewed at BlobFest VIII in 2007. BlobFest started as a fundraiser in 1999 to restore The Colonial Theater, a prominent feature of the original film. Since the first fundraiser, the event has become an annual celebration of All Things The Blob, including a scream competition, run-out re-enactment, Shorty Film Contest, and more. For gobs more on (classic version of) The Blob, see TheBlobSite.

The Lurking Fear

Artw — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:13:44 -0800

Lovecraft 101: Get To Know The Master of Scifi-Horror. For more detailed insights into each of Lovecraft's tales in publication order you might want to follow the H.P.Lovecraft Literary Podcast. For another story-by-story guide to Lovecraft you might want to check out Kenneth Hite's Tour De Lovecraft (also available in expanded form as a book). China Mieville on Lovecraft and racism and a lecture at Treadwells by Archaeologist James Holloway which delves deep into Lovecraft and identity. The making of the Call of Cthulhu RPG. The making of Cthulhu (Hipsters! Ego! Madness!). Happy Halloween with H.P. Lovecraft!

David Lynch's "Rabbits"

Iridic — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:59:04 -0800

In a nameless city deluged by a continuous rain, three rabbits live with a fearful mystery... [Rabbits - David Lynch, 2002.]

Watch the skies!

Artw — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:02:30 -0800

Who Goes There - the John W. Campbell short story which inspired the movies The Thing from Another World and, closer to the original, The Thing (which, apparently, was horribly critically mauled upon release but has since become as much as a classic as the 50s film). The story is now being reprinted alongside a treatment by Logan's Run author William F. Nolan for an unmade 1978 screen version.

God damn trees!

fearfulsymmetry — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:33:39 -0800

From the guys that brought you Hobo With A Shogun comes award-winning short, Treevenge (NSFW)

Shoot 'em in the head

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:39:39 -0800

The American Nightmare (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Documentary on US horror films of the 60s and 70s and how their themes reflected the society of the time. Includes contributions from John Carpenter, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper, John Landis, George R. Romero and Tom Savini. NSFW - horror gore plus extreme reportage.

Bring back box office receipts. Priority One. All other priorities rescinded.

Artw — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:15:53 -0800

Tony Scott has confirmed that a prequel to Alien is in the works, with commercial director Carl Rinsch at the helm. Of course, his brother Ridley was no stranger to advertising. Meanwhile Dark Horse is celebrating 30 years of the franchise by releasing a new series of Aliens comics.

BLACK BELT against BLACK MAGIC

fearfulsymmetry — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:19:01 -0800

The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires combined the tail end of Hammer film's Dracula series with, the then, burgeoning martial arts craze to create "The First Kung Fu Horror Spectacular!" Trailer Posters The whole film on Google video The ending, "You must destroy her!", Chinese Disco (in Spanish) Comic adaptation. Poss NSFW... brief nudity

Andy Warhol's Frankenstein and Dracula: almost begs the gorge to rise

filthy light thief — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:22:39 -0800

Though film is not generally Andy Warhol's field of greatest fame, some see his long and storied history in film as "where Warhol's supreme achievement lies". And then there are the two horror films from 1973: Andy Warhol's Frankenstein (or Flesh for Frankenstein) and Andy Warhol's Dracula (or Blood for Dracula). The two films were filmed quickly and inexpensively in the Spring of 1973, using the Roger Corman method of filming two movies at one location using the same actors to decrease costs. Frankenstein was filmed first, using Space-Vision 3-D. But filming 3D footage was too expensive and time-consuming, so Dracula was shot in standard 35mm film. The films are a mix of tribute to and parody of Italian horror films. Both movies were shot in and around Rome, and edited at the Cinecittà studios,which were opened by Mussolini in April 1937, and later the location for Roman Holiday and Ben Hur, amongst others. Despite the pedigree of the location, the content of the films were not the of the same sort, with gory effects in Frankenstein including innards [that] resemble lobster salad, an evocation that stresses the obvious expense of this production (NYTimes.com Bugmenot) and Dracula receiving an X Rating from the MPAA due to its violent and sexual elements. Regardless, or because of this, Both films were commercial successes by Factory standards in the United States, Europe, and, for the first time, Japan. These films would be the last two Factory films that Paul Morrissey directed, and the last Factory films in which Joe Dallesandro starred. Morrissey first worked at The Factory in 1965, sweeping the floor, a year prior to the making of The Chelsea Girls. Morrissey went on to take over the directing, pushing Warhol's films in more commercial directions. After these films, Morrissey continued to direct movies, though he stopped when it became harder to finance independent films. Dallesandro, probably the guy(parts) on the cover of Rolling Stone's Sticky Fingers, continued to have acting roles, though he now manages a hotel in the heart of Hollywood, where he lives with his cat Booky. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has given these films to the Andy Warhol Museum. Dracula clips Movie teaser (1:29) Intro to the film (8:33), dubbed in Spanish Screen test (4:09), film director Paul Morrissey discusses his choices for cast members for the film Frankenstein clips German trailer (3:19), nudity and gore included US trailer (1:18), with minor spoilers Udo Kier (2:18), on censorship and Frankenstein ("It's a comedy, everyone knows the blood is syrup")

and again and again and again and again... and again

Combustible Edison Lighthouse — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:22:52 -0800

Over twelve years in the making, filmed on five continents, with a running time of over nine hours, easily the most terrifying flatware horror movie released this year. A Richard Gale film. [via]

eerie imaginings from the East

nickyskye — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:25:52 -0800

Asian Horror Movies.com. 100's of free, streaming video, full movies, which have English subtitles. Index of titles updated regularly. Japanese, Korean, Thai. Includes a wide variety of films from an eccentric fantasy like 100% Wool to a psychological thriller like Angel Dust. Viewer reviews are below the screen, so you can have a little idea of the film. Recommended: A Tale of Two Sisters l Inner Senses l The Host l Ju-on l Kwaidan l Save the Green Planet l Wild Zero l Audition l Cure l Dorm.

Ray Dennis Steckler, 1939-2009

Chinese Jet Pilot — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:53:00 -0800

Here's to Ray Dennis Steckler, the independent filmmaker who wrote, starred (as Cash Flagg) and directed influential films including The Thrill Killers, Rat Pfink a Boo Boo, and his masterpice The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. A visionary artist whose influnce is clearly seen in contemporary cinema, Steckler was prolific (producing movies from 1963 until last year), economical (his films were self-produced, shot on 16mm film and later Hi-8 video), and brilliant (as clearly evidenced in this dance sequence from Creatures, "The First Monster Musical"). It hasn't been widely reported yet, but fans are mourning his passing. He died in his sleep yesterday, January 7th, aged 70. I hesitated to post about a death without an obituary to link to (especially since I posted another obituary 24 hours ago), but Ray Dennis Steckler was an important creative influence in my life. I saw Rat Pfink a Boo Boo as a film student, but not at school; my professors were only interested in "serious" cinema like Casablanca and similar crap. It was a revelation. I saw clear artistic vision and high production values in spite of miniscule budgets and volunteer crews. My first e-commerce purchase on the World Wide Web, probably in 1996 and with much trepidation, was a VHS copy of Rat Pfink a Boo Boo from Sinister Cinema. I still keep a VCR hooked up so that I can watch it. On our second date, I took my future wife to a screening of The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies at the old UC Theater in Berkeley, CA. They screened it in Terrorama -- costumed actors (actually the cast for that evening's showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show) "terrorized" the audience by shrieking and running through the aisles. It made an impression on her. I highly recommend Steckler's films to anyone with an eye for cinema. I mourn his passing. Disclaimer: The YouTube link to the Creatures dance sequence is a self-reference. I posted that clip a few years ago.

Mark 13 - "no flesh shall be spared"

Artw — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:52:40 -0800

The Sea of Perdition - Children of the Kingdom - Black Tulips - Three short films by South African-born film director Richard Stanley. Stanley's career took off with Hardware (an unacknowledged adaptation the 2000ad story Shok!) and the apocalyptic African western/Horror movie Dust Devil, then hit the rocks with the doomed 1996 version of the Island of Doctor Moreau, from which he was fired and replaced by John Frankenheimer. Stanley hasn't directed a feature film since... though he now has two films in preproduction, Vacation and Bones of the Earth. The original script for Moreau can be read on his unofficial site, as well as the script for a sequel to Hardware. Richard Stanley's MySpace Blog is also very strange.

Carnival of Souls

Iridic — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:44:42 -0800

Harold "Herk" Harvey, a director of educational and industrial films for the Centron Corporation, was driving through Utah when he spotted the derelict Saltair Resort squatting on a mudded lakebed. The sight charged him with ideas, and when he returned home he recruited his Centron colleages and an unknown method actress to make a psychological horror movie. The atmospheric result, shot over three weeks at locations in Kansas and Utah, was 1962's Carnival of Souls. Partially annotated YouTube version. Archived Crit erion essays. Criterion Contraption essay. Some of Harvey's Centron shorts: "Speech: Using Your Voice" (1950) "Cheating" (1952) "Why Study Industrial Arts?" (1956) "Shake Hands With Danger" (1980)

Making A Bad Movie

Artw — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:26:25 -0800

It was the 80's. We were younger then, and anything seemed possible. So it all seemed part of Destiny when my very first screenplay was bought and produced; fame and fortune was surely just around the corner. HA! Fat chance.- The making of Forever Evil.

Horror for the casual insomniac

[NOT HERMITOSIS-IST] — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:26:36 -0800

Doomed Moviethon exists as an excuse for Richard Schmidt to go on insane, caffeine-fueled horror movie benders and record his impressions as sanity erodes... Could you do 28 Giallos in 60 hours? Also: 12 Werewolf flicks in 30 hours 13 Argentos in 34 hours 13 films from '76 in 42 hours

Calling King

fearfulsymmetry — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:55:35 -0800

Director Mathieu Ratthe has created in a scene from Stephen King's The Talisman in the hope of convincing those holding the rights to let him make a full film version. See also his short film Lovefield. More King: 25 episode 'graphic video' adaptation of his short story N.

"Zombie juice!"

fearfulsymmetry — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:14:33 -0800

Australian short film - I Love Sarah Jane 'Jimbo is 13. All he can think about is one girl, Sarah Jane. And no matter what stands in his way - bullies, violence, chaos, zombies - nothing is going to stop him from finding a way into her world.' NSFW - swearing and gore. SLYT.

"It's not of this world. It's Sadako's fury. And she's put a curse on us."

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:20:04 -0800

RIP Tartan Films. The UK-based film distribution company has gone into administration, laying off it's entire staff. With the help of their American arm (Tartan USA, the closure of which had already been announced at this years' Cannes Festival), they were responsible for bringing some of the best recent foreign cinema, especially from Japan and Korea to the West, including Infernal Affairs (remade as The Departed), Oldboy (currently being remade), A Tale of Two Sisters and the original Ring series, virtually single-handed launching the J-Horror / K-Horror phenomenon. Other notable films they backed include Primer, Red Road (Pos NSFW, brief nudity) and Funny Games.