What film did you watch last night?

Nitefly said:
This sort of goes back to something I mentioned to another thread: what do people actually want from this genre? Do people want to be terrified? Does more terror mean better? For me, how frightening a horror film is doesn’t necessarily impact how much I enjoy it (unless at the far ends of the spectrum).

As I said, both to my mind are ‘popcorn spookers’ - entertaining romps that don’t really require much thought or engagement to take enjoyment from them. Often, that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Being ‘easy to enjoy’ is a big win for me.

Not aimed at you specifically but I really don’t understand why people ferociously dislike “jump scares”. One effective way of frightening people is by startling them. Some jump scares are great - they can be ‘fun’ and generate a laugh or two. The examples in the spoilers below are genuinely frightening moments, I think.
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For me it's because they feel cheap. It's easy to scare somebody with a loud noise and a thing appearing on screen. For me terror is far more difficult to create, and more memorable. Veronica that I watched the other night only had a few jump scares but the atmosphere it created was excellent throughout. The Conjuring 1 was like this, the second one (and to a greater extent the spinoffs) are more just about how many noise/jumps they can fit in because the tone and atmosphere isn't as well constructed imo. The second Conjuring is still very good don't get me wrong, but it was a bad sign of the direction the 'franchise' was going.

Maybe I just prefer terror to horror. I like the atmosphere of uneasiness and fear, not the loud sound/jump style.
 
Shamikebab said:
For me it's because they feel cheap. It's easy to scare somebody with a loud noise and a thing appearing on screen. For me terror is far more difficult to create, and more memorable. Veronica that I watched the other night only had a few jump scares but the atmosphere it created was excellent throughout. The Conjuring 1 was like this, the second one (and to a greater extent the spinoffs) are more just about how many noise/jumps they can fit in because the tone and atmosphere isn't as well constructed imo. The second Conjuring is still very good don't get me wrong, but it was a bad sign of the direction the 'franchise' was going.

Maybe I just prefer terror to horror. I like the atmosphere of uneasiness and fear, not the loud sound/jump style.
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That’s all fair enough. Ultimately it is more impressive to scare people without startling them.

I think it’s probably best to refer to them as ‘startles’ (jump scares) and ‘atmospheric fear’ (i.e. atmosphere without jump scares), since jump scares can certainly induce terror and it’s sort of all under the umbrella term of ‘horror’.

The very best horror does generate significant atmospheric fear without having to rely on startles, which I think comes down to the craft of ‘good film making’ and polish. Startles are sort of the ketchup to the main course. It can be complimentary, but too much sauce or low quality sauce can ruin the meal. And, like with anything, some people just don’t like ketchup!

Edit - I actually despite ketchup unless it’s in a burger, so that’s a terrible analogy for me at least :p
 
Three recent ones:

Deliverance - 6/10, nicely done but very dated now.
Psycho - 7/10, glad to have seen it since it's a classic. Not scary these days, but suspenseful and well-acted.
Friday the 13th - 5/10, good up to the point where Jason's 'mum' makes an appearance and then it goes downhill very quickly.
 
Ninja Assassin (2009) - 8/10

Excessively gory and violent and so much fun to watch.

Some of the action scenes and plot contrivances are ridiculous but they’re very entertaining, being fast pace, energetic and exciting.

The plot pacing is a bit off and it takes itself far too seriously, but the characters are ok and the cheesy ending is great.
 
Shanghai Fortress (2019) - 4/10

A cross between the Chinese versions of ‘Ender’s Game’ and ‘Independence Day’ which is probably better as a book as it seems to skip over a lot of stuff and the monologues would fit better.

There’s lots of dramatic music and inspiring scenes, but also lots of ham-fisted teen romance and a lackluster plot.

The mix of Chinese and English voice acting is off-putting and although the military might and special effects are good (if a bit too CGI heavy), it’s all too clean and family friendly.

The plot is predictable and the characters are undeveloped, but the finale is pretty epic and exciting.
 
Wilderpeople was good. I don't know if its the Kiwi accent but it just cracks me up. Loved Korg in Thor Ragnarok too.

That group (Taika, Bret and Jermaine) are brilliant in most of what they do. What we do in the shadows was cracking as well.
 
Spectral (2016) - 3/10

A modern military story which would have been much better if it had stuck with its initial ghostly premise and explored the folklore, horrors and point of civil war.

Instead, you get an uninteresting sci-fi movie with traditional characters and no suspense or excitement.

The acting, action and special effects are ok but the plot's weak and it's all a bit boring, except for the ending where it gets absurdly silly.
 
The Wolf of Snow Hollow

Jim Cummings writes / directs / stars in a pretty gory indie werewolf horror.

If you've seen Thunder Road, which is a decent cringe comedy/drama about a Springsteen loving American policeman having an existential crisis ( on prime i think ).

Its basically the same character stressed to the eyeballs by a series of brutal killings in a small northern town.

Not amazing but amusing and if you liked Thunder Road then one to look at.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11140488/
 
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Dr. Sleep (sequel to The Shining)

Better than expected but descends into a bit of an unwanted nostalgia-fest at the end. If it had kept the tone it had in the middle sections I’d have preferred it.

7/10
 
Rogue City / Bronx (2020) - 6/10

A French police drama where all the cops seems to be corrupt, weaving a complicated web of double crosses, macho posturing and the odd action scene.

The plot holds your interest, moving along at a good pace and although the ending’s a bit odd, it fits in with the overall theme.

Good acting and setting, but apart from the opening, is lacking in truly memorable characters or scenes.
 
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