Dawn of the Dead

[Jonnyc]

I might have to borrow this next time we meet mate - you've been pre-warned.

The commentary is excellent Hitch.

The extras even include a promo for the company that own the caves they shot in, they are used for storage of all sorts of weird stuff

they were down there so much, they all strate dto get ill- anyway, it's all on there when you are ready

In fact, ill drop off at Currys on fri and you can pick up from there?

[Vemsie]

I'd say thats about right

Hehe. That's okay, I have that with Kill Bill.

Back to Dawn. I think it's a great film. Yes , it looks and sounds dated an the gore is horrible. Unlike for example Halloween, it's never that scary. But it's subtext, characters and the little rays of hope that shine trough the darkness make it an utterly compelling movie in my opinion.

[Vemsie]

"GIRLS - DON'T HAVE SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE OR EVERYONE WILL THINK YOU ARE A DIRTY WHORE. INSTEAD SIT AT HOME, KNIT, AND LEARN A GOOD LITTLE WOMAN"

That subtext is your intepretation and something I don't think Carpenter ever intended with this film.

[FishyFish]

Watched Halloween for the first time last year.

That IS a fucking shit film.

A conservative, bland template for the slasher films to come. The nail in the coffin is the message so unsubtle it may as well have been a public information broadcast:

"GIRLS - DON'T HAVE SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE OR EVERYONE WILL THINK YOU ARE A DIRTY WHORE. INSTEAD SIT AT HOME, KNIT, AND LEARN TO BE A GOOD LITTLE WOMAN"

Fucking appalling, and not in the least bit scary.

But sir, Halloween is excellent! It's got such a great "Halloweeny" atmosphere. That said, being one of the older farts on the forum, and having memories of seeing it on video in the early 80s, I do admit that nostalgia may cloud my vision a teensy bit.

Every October 31st I've got the theme tune buzzing through my head constantly without fail.

Fishy

[DC Lemon]

Sorry, has this thread actually go anythint to do with the remake? I've only read the last few posts. Anyway, I watched it earlier on. It was entertaining, I suppose. Had it's moments. Yeah, that's about it. It's going to date a lot quicker than the original.

[Tofu]

I'm with Despin the Thing was the best thing ever, though its got nothing to do with zombies

[villenium]

I'm with Despin the Thing was the best thing ever, though its got nothing to do with zombies

This is so true.

I've been saying The Thing is the best horror movie ever made. For years. To anyone who'll listen. And to loads who won't.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

The Thing isn't really scary though. It's more of a mystery suspense thriller. Still an absolutely awesome film with one of the best endings EVER.

For me, the scariest elements of The Thing are the isolation and paranoia.

Gorey effects and jump/shock moments don't scare me in movies usually becasue they are so obviously forecast e.g. the composition of a shot in a horror movie - if it's a medium to tight shot of someone and half the frame is empty, there's a big chance something will suddenly appear (jump) in the empty portion of the frame.

I watched the remake of The Texas Chansaw Massacre last night and for me the scariest thing about it was the fact that this little town all seemed to be in on it. it jarred me in the same way in the Truman Show, everybody in the town square flinched from feedback in their concealed earpieces. Creepy stuff.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Watched Halloween for the first time last year.

That IS a fucking shit film.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and all, but your sir are wrong. Wronger than wrong. You could not be more wrong. You could try but you would be unsuccessful.

[Rin]

The first Halloween, whilst the best of the series, aint that special. I mean let's face it. There's pretty much no plot whatsoever.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Ok it isn't a shit film. But I really, really don't like it. Is that better?

Nope.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

You will like it.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

The first Halloween, whilst the best of the series, aint that special. I mean let's face it. There's pretty much no plot whatsoever.

Granted, plot is a little thin on the ground but most horror films are.

I appreciate Halloween more as a film though.

On a technical level, it is amazing. The screen composition, the score, the camera work - all top stuff.

It was also the template for the slasher flicks that followed, although that can be held against it I guess, depend on your view.

Around this period, Carpenter was the master of his field. It's a crying shame he has fallen from grace due to such shite as Vampires and Escape From LA.

[Rin]

Agreed on the technical side of things, it was all very well filmed. And yes, I suppose it did set a template and inspire things to come.

The whole supernatural thing that came around in the end spoilt it a little, for me. But overall, it was pretty good.

I didn't like any of the sequels, though. The third one comes closest to recapturing what the original made.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Agreed on the technical side of things, it was all very well filmed. And yes, I suppose it did set a template and inspire things to come.

The whole supernatural thing that came around in the end spoilt it a little, for me. But overall, it was pretty good.

I didn't like any of the sequels, though. The third one comes closest to recapturing what the original made.

Supernatural? In what way?

[Rin]

Supernatural? In what way?

Just the way it was like the evil's "out there". Like he wasn't human. Just took away the realism the film had set up.

[Vemsie]

"I watched him for 15 years, staring at a wall, not seeing the wall, looking past the wall. Looking at THIS night, inhumanly patient."

"Death has come to your little town, Sheriff."

"I spent 8 years trying to reach him and then another 7 trying to keep him locked up because I realised what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply.....evil."

"I met this 6 year old boy with this blank, pale, emotionless face and.....the blackest eyes. The devil's eyes."

I like this way more than the Thing (or Dawn for that matter). That score, surely one of the best ever? One of the few horror films that can still send shivers down my spine. I love the way Carpenter builds supense by showing The Shape stalking Laurie and her friends during the first hour of the movie. Extra points for an extraordinary perfomance from Pleasance and that POV shot in the beginning. Now a cliche, pretty special back then.

Neb is right about the supernatural element though. Meyers is the incarnate of pure evil. And evil is still out there. Will always be out there.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Just the way it was like the evil's "out there". Like he wasn't human. Just took away the realism the film had set up.

I see where you are coming from but I saw it as more Loomis' way of describing the atrocities the Michael is capable of. He is without remorse so much so that Loomis believes that he is inhuman in a way, not literally of course more that he is just an evil bastard.

In the later sequels Michael does seem to come off as superhuman which I don't really care for but the fisrt film alone, is great.

Which reminds me, all this talk of zombes recently and everyone seems to have failed to mentioned the best zombie of them all:

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

"I watched him for 15 years, staring at a wall, not seeing the wall, looking past the wall. Looking at THIS night, inhumanly patient."

"Death has come to your little town, Sheriff."

"I spent 8 years trying to reach him and then another 7 trying to keep him locked up because I realised what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply.....evil."

"I met this 6 year old boy with this blank, pale, emotionless face and.....the blackest eyes. The devil's eyes."

I like this way more than the Thing (or Dawn for that matter). That score, surely one of the best ever? One of the few horror films that can still send shivers down my spine. I love the way Carpenter builds supense by showing The Shape stalking Laurie and her friends during the first hour of the movie. Extra points for an extraordinary perfomance from Pleasance and that POV shot in the beginning. Now a cliche, pretty special back then.

Neb is right about the supernatural element though. Meyers is the incarnate of pure evil. And evil is still out there. Will always be out there.

I can't agree with you on a number of points.

Firstly, better than The Thing? no way. Don't get me wrong, I fucking love Halloween (I have several versions on DVD and will probably buy the inevitably 30th Anniversatu Edition) but The Thing cannot be hailed enough. It's easily Carpenter's finest hour (and Kurt Russell's for the matter).

And as I mentioned above, I don't think Myers is evil incarnate, that's just Loomis' opinion of him. Many people may say Mugabe, Saddam, Bin Laden, Bush are evil incarnate but that doesn't make them supernatural. just extremely fucked up individuals.

[Rin]

The Thing > Halloween.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

The Thing > Halloween.

The Thing > Most films

[Vemsie]

Well, I find it better than The Thing. Just like I prefer Cronenberg's remake of The Fly to The Thing. Halloween is the better movie to me. I think it's one of those genuine horror classics, perhaps the biggest one of them all. And certainly one of the most influential. Michael Meyers is one of the most iconic characters in a move. Ever.

Which brings me to the supernatural element. He is not a normal person. A normal person doesn't survive being stabbed, shot at and falling out of a window. When Loomis looks out of the window, he's already gone. And Loomis knew. There's definitely a hint of the supernatural about him.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Well, I find it better than The Thing. Just like I prefer Cronenberg's remake of The Fly to The Thing. Halloween is the better movie to me. I think it's one of those genuine horror classics, perhaps the biggest one of them all. And certainly one of the most influential. Michael Meyers is one of the most iconic characters in a move. Ever.

Which brings me to the supernatural element. He is not a normal person. A normal person doesn't survive being stabbed, shot at and falling out of a window. When Loomis looks out of the window, he's already gone. And Loomis knew. There's definitely a hint of the supernatural about him.

I agree, Halloween in extremely influential and a geniune horror classic. That can't be taken away from it.

Again, I see where you are coming from regarding the uspernatural element but just because he was shot, stabbed and fell out of a window, doesn't mean he is inhuman. Who's to say he hasn't just scrambled a few feet away to nearby bushes and is extremely fucked. There have been numerous cases where crazy people have found to have some kind of Herculean strength despite their size.

The fact that Loomis knew just shows that Loomis already knows that Myers is a tough bastard.

[Vemsie]

You might be right, I might be right. It's never really made clear which earns it extra points in my opinion.

Anyway, The Thing and Halloween are two genuine scary movie classics. I'd like to add a third Carpenter movie to that list: In the Mouth of Madness. Easily one of the scariest movies ever made.

[CrispinG]

What's the scariest film you've ever seen, then? I'm going to give my stock answer and say Audition, which is the only film I had to turn off because I was actually shaking!

Also, The Fly > The Thing > Hitcher > Halloween > Dawn of the Dead.

True, that is.

[Vemsie]

Scariest movie ever? For me it's a toss between Don't Look Now, In the Mouth of Madness or The Shining.

I've never seen Audition, mind.

[CrispinG]

Really? I haven't seen In The Mouth of Madness, but neither The Shining or Don't Look Now had any effect on me at all. I think it's because the only thing that really frightens me is how cruel people can be. Ghosts, I can just laugh off, but some psychopath sawing off your feet - I can believe that!

[Rin]

Alien.

[Vemsie]

Really? I haven't seen In The Mouth of Madness, but neither The Shining or Don't Look Now had any effect on me at all. I think it's because the only thing that really frightens me is how cruel people can be. Ghosts, I can just laugh off, but some psychopath sawing off your feet - I can believe that!

To me it has a lot ot do with the mood of the film. Both Kubrick and Nic Roeg use visuals and music brilliantly to create a very unpleasant mood. Those steadicam shots of the Overlook hotel the serial killing dwarf flashing her blade are hanting images to me.

In the Mouth of Madness: those little old guys on their bikes. Christ, it's freaky.

Misery is a another good one.

Alien is another classic of course.

[CrispinG]

Oh, I can appreciate the unsettling atmosphere of both films, and Alien was incredibly exciting, but neither disturbed or really scared me. The only films that have ever really done that are Spoorloos and Audition.

[Vemsie]

The only films that have ever really done that are Spoorloos and Audition.

Ah yes, Spooloos. Good call. That must be one of the most chilling endings ever.