re: Official SPOOKY SEASON Horror Movie Discussion/Recs Thread

I have so many thoughts on AASB and most are not good because it tried to be 2 kinds of movies and didn't commit to either, and going in either direction would have been better.

I do need to rewatch it, though. I expected it to be a haunty realistic thriller-horror about getting lost and dangers being down there, and not half of that and half occult stuff. Now that I understand a lot more about the occult, and go into it knowing what to look for, there is a chance I appreciate it more.

But my memory is that it was way too bright/hokey to commit to the dark/occult angle, and I did not like that.

The Dark and the Wicked (2020) is the best horror movie I've seen in a good while.

I watched both 'Heretic' and 'Haunt' recently and they were pretty solid. Wolf Man is pretty recent and good also.

Everything else I've watched this spooky season has been terrible.

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How can you not appreciate the angle that the catacombs literally lead to Hell?

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I prefer my Hell on film to be more like Baskin or Hellraiser 2 than that movie

My two biggest issues with AASB (and I'm responding to GoCrazyAuburn, but this is a general response to everyone talking about it):

1. When George translates the ancient text, it still rhymes in English.
2. SPOILER (see below)





























































































I thought the ending would have been much cooler if they exited the manhole and finally arrived in Hell.

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I prefer my Hell on film to be more like Baskin

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Baskin was borderline trash.

I appreciated what they were trying to do, but it missed me a good bit and I remember just wanting it to be over by the time I finished it. I've never understood why you love that movie so much. It's not very good at all IMO.



Oh, I thought of another one for BOSCEAUX: Incident in a Ghostland.

Fair warning though: it's very fricking brutal, and I know you said you are watching these with your wife. So she may not like it (and you may not either). But I thought it was good (if you can handle the subject matter) and appreciated a horror movie from a different approach than normal horror tropes. I don't want to say to much to give anything away, but just know that it is pretty physically brutal.

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You feel that way even after watching this video that explains all the symbolism!?

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Yes. I am rewatching it now, but I remember the thread where it first was posted. And if you have to watch some super detailed video to explain the movie, then that is evidence that sort of supports my stance that it misses the mark as a standalone entertainment piece.

That video even says "This wasn't an easy film to decipher," and I also disagree with some of the points made in it (specifically the final one). I don't mind movies that make you think, but having to "decipher" a movie to the point of silliness takes me way out of it and means that the movie not only doesn't hold up as an entertainment piece, but also didn't do its job correctly for the viewer.

Trying to think of a similar type of movie with layers and symbolism in it...it would be like having to watch a super detailed explanation of Cabin in the Woods to understand it. And I'm sure there are tons of videos out there that explain all of the tropes and symbolism. But for me, the movie is self explanatory and stands on its own without needing some huge explanation. And because of that, I think it is excellent and pretty brilliantly executed.

To get out of horror for another example, something like The Prestige maybe. You are able to "figure it out" without needing assistance from some in-depth outside source. And that makes it higher quality IMO.

I know you could argue that since it is foreign, that affects things a little. And that is true. But it should still be decipherable in its own right. And Baskin wasn't, at least for me. Maybe "borderline trash" is a bit of an exaggeration, but toward the end it became a jumbled mess and I didn't care for it.

Also, this comment from the YT video:

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I saw this movie yesterday on two tabs of lsd ......


I regret it so much

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I can't imagine a movie like Baskin while you're tripping on something like acid.

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I've just never heard an opinion like yours when it comes to Baskin

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I have. I specifically picked it to trigger Cokes. I went with Hellbound because had i chosen The Void, it would have been too obvious (b/c he doesn't like The Void, either)

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I specifically picked it to trigger Cokes.

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had i chosen The Void, it would have been too obvious (b/c he doesn't like The Void, either)

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I don't remember much about The Void, but I know I've seen it because I keep a running list of shite that I have watched since January '23.

Let me read the plot summary on Wiki and see if it jogs my memory about it. I think I remember being fairly meh about it, and can't find any previous discussion about it on here when I tried to google past threads.

ETA: Just watched the trailer...I remember this one. "Random hospital surrounded by cult people" thing. Don't think I hated it though...I remember being fairly meh about it. But reading about the plot on Wiki, I remember liking it more than Baskin. The Void isn't bad at all. Although I do think the whole ""hell" type movies aren't much for me. I remember the Hellraiser movies freaking me the frick out as a kid, so I never got into those as an adult (I've seen the first one and that's about it I think).

When I was a kid, I thought the Hammer Dracula films were terrifying. Christopher Lee messed me up. Now they seem silly.

I did watch 30 Days of Night again last week. Probably the scariest vampire film I've ever seen.

Our Halloween week playlist usually includes

The Exorcist
The Shining
The Others
American Werewolf in London
Salem's Lot
Bram's Stoker's Dracula
Let the Right One In