What Film You’ve Been watching # 54
- Thread starter Mr Trick
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Mr Trick
Scooby
The Kindred (1987) - 5.5/10
Solid b-movie monster movie which is lifted a bit by impressive effects (its low budget too). Another quirk is that the actress playing Melissa is the same one who played Pheobe in The X-Files episode Fire, and she's playing an almost identical role, the ex-girlfriend who works on the project and stirs up some old feelings 😀
Solid b-movie monster movie which is lifted a bit by impressive effects (its low budget too). Another quirk is that the actress playing Melissa is the same one who played Pheobe in The X-Files episode Fire, and she's playing an almost identical role, the ex-girlfriend who works on the project and stirs up some old feelings 😀
Mr Trick
Scooby
Salem’s Lot (2024) - 8/10
FINALLY got around to watching this and was very pleasantly surprised. Really fun watch, and while it does take quite a few liberties from the source material, I didn’t really mind them. Still feels like the old European vampire meets 70s Americana.
That being said, still not a fan of making Barlow this demonic makeup monster (though he looks really really fantastic). The book’s depiction of him as this elderly sophisticated eastern European man is so much better than some albino monster man, and it’s pretty key to the theme. The movie also feels a tad too short. Could’ve used an extra 20 minutes or so of vampires taking over the town.
FINALLY got around to watching this and was very pleasantly surprised. Really fun watch, and while it does take quite a few liberties from the source material, I didn’t really mind them. Still feels like the old European vampire meets 70s Americana.
That being said, still not a fan of making Barlow this demonic makeup monster (though he looks really really fantastic). The book’s depiction of him as this elderly sophisticated eastern European man is so much better than some albino monster man, and it’s pretty key to the theme. The movie also feels a tad too short. Could’ve used an extra 20 minutes or so of vampires taking over the town.
HowiMetdaSlayer
heard mixed reviews
@HowiMetdaSlayer I can understand why.
The entire beginning of the book is omitted, opening instead on Straker hiring the moving company to transport the “cabinet” to the Marsten House. The Marsten House itself is horrendously explained (I.e. newspaper clipping headline in a single scene), to the point that if you haven’t read the novel, you won’t understand its significance at all. In general, the film feels bizarrely edited in points, like scenes were omitted or shuffled around. A good example is the sheriff, who is sort of shown in the novel as being gradually overwhelmed until he eventually gives up on the town because he knows it’s a lost cause. Here, he is shown at the onset of the vampire outbreak (in and of itself extremely rushed into 3-4 days as opposed to the month long affair of the novel) and isn’t seen or referenced again until we see him running away. Feels extremely abrupt.
Most egregious was likely the death of Danny Glick, who is sacrificed by Straker in the novel in order to sort of “anoint” the ground for Barlow’s arrival. In the movie, a character says that is what happened…but the film’s rendition of events was completely different.
There’s also interesting choices in the film that worked for me, but maybe not for everyone. True to the book, Straker is
Several character fates are shuffled around or completely changed from the novel. The finale is completely different from the novel.
It works really well as a companion piece to the novel, I feel, so maybe that’s where my biases are coming in. Seeing the changes to characters like Susan (who actually gets a real character in the movie besides being some ultra author fangirl who wants to be an actress) felt really good, since things like that were large pain points when reading the book. The film omits a ton of information and side sequences, which may feel clunky to people who didn’t read the novel.
I think where this thing may have struggled is that Salem’s Lot is a really big book scale-wise. There’s a lot of material spread across a lot of characters, and it’s a testament to the novel that things feel well developed and fleshed out. This one sort of tries to do that, but comes up short and leaves characters like Father Callahan really underdeveloped as far as real character (a shame, since he is pivotal to the novel). Knowing what the material was supposed to be like, this movie felt enhanced and improved, like a good dessert after a great meal. If you haven’t read the novel or aren’t familiar with the story though, I don’t think you’d get much out of it.
The entire beginning of the book is omitted, opening instead on Straker hiring the moving company to transport the “cabinet” to the Marsten House. The Marsten House itself is horrendously explained (I.e. newspaper clipping headline in a single scene), to the point that if you haven’t read the novel, you won’t understand its significance at all. In general, the film feels bizarrely edited in points, like scenes were omitted or shuffled around. A good example is the sheriff, who is sort of shown in the novel as being gradually overwhelmed until he eventually gives up on the town because he knows it’s a lost cause. Here, he is shown at the onset of the vampire outbreak (in and of itself extremely rushed into 3-4 days as opposed to the month long affair of the novel) and isn’t seen or referenced again until we see him running away. Feels extremely abrupt.
Most egregious was likely the death of Danny Glick, who is sacrificed by Straker in the novel in order to sort of “anoint” the ground for Barlow’s arrival. In the movie, a character says that is what happened…but the film’s rendition of events was completely different.
Barlow is brought into town literally as soon as the opening credits are done, Danny is kidnapped and sacrificed to Barlow about 1/3 of the way through the movie, so his death didn’t really give Barlow power or allow his arrival. It just sort of “happens”.
There’s also interesting choices in the film that worked for me, but maybe not for everyone. True to the book, Straker is
killed by Mark Petrie about 3/4 of the way through, but here he is replaced by a different character afterwards, which I thought was interesting.
It works really well as a companion piece to the novel, I feel, so maybe that’s where my biases are coming in. Seeing the changes to characters like Susan (who actually gets a real character in the movie besides being some ultra author fangirl who wants to be an actress) felt really good, since things like that were large pain points when reading the book. The film omits a ton of information and side sequences, which may feel clunky to people who didn’t read the novel.
I think where this thing may have struggled is that Salem’s Lot is a really big book scale-wise. There’s a lot of material spread across a lot of characters, and it’s a testament to the novel that things feel well developed and fleshed out. This one sort of tries to do that, but comes up short and leaves characters like Father Callahan really underdeveloped as far as real character (a shame, since he is pivotal to the novel). Knowing what the material was supposed to be like, this movie felt enhanced and improved, like a good dessert after a great meal. If you haven’t read the novel or aren’t familiar with the story though, I don’t think you’d get much out of it.
HowiMetdaSlayer
seems like they might've been better off making this a short series?
Mr Trick
Scooby
The Woman in Black (2012) - 4.5/10.
The Carmilla Movie (2017) - 6.5/10.
The Carmilla Movie (2017) - 6.5/10.
NotASlayer
I enjoyed The Woman in Black! But I do prefer supernatural horror, especially the more subtle kind.
Plasma
All I remember of Woman in Black is that it starred Daniel Radcliffe not too long after he wrapped the Potter films
TamsinValencia
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TamsinValencia
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Mr Trick
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BaskingINBangel
Agent of Nothing
whatdBuffyDo
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Smile 2 - 9/10
Really liked this. A large improvement over the admittedly bland but interesting first film. The characters are more interesting, the scenario is really inventive and opens the door to neat set pieces, and the scares are fantastic. The gore is pretty great too, and it all looks great with the direction and cinematography.
Only real complaint I have is that the ending is beyond predictable, unfortunately. To the point that, when I heard the main character’s occupation, I knew where it was going to end up. Still, great journey with plenty of good twists and turns.
Really liked this. A large improvement over the admittedly bland but interesting first film. The characters are more interesting, the scenario is really inventive and opens the door to neat set pieces, and the scares are fantastic. The gore is pretty great too, and it all looks great with the direction and cinematography.
Only real complaint I have is that the ending is beyond predictable, unfortunately. To the point that, when I heard the main character’s occupation, I knew where it was going to end up. Still, great journey with plenty of good twists and turns.
Mr Trick
Wow didn't see that coming! I won't be rushing to it, ha!
Mr Trick
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Hunga Munga
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Jet Li's The One (2001) 9/10
The more I see this movie the more I like it .; At first I thought of it more as a half decent 'Matrix' knockoff . As time has gone on , I'm starting to see it as a martial arts classic . CGI has messed with the integrity of live action martial arts but I think 'The One' is a fine example of a decent fusion of the disciplines .
I can't believe how badly it got panned by the critics at release . Personally I reckon people will be still watching it in another 20 years and it'll be a cult movie for the fight genre.
The more I see this movie the more I like it .; At first I thought of it more as a half decent 'Matrix' knockoff . As time has gone on , I'm starting to see it as a martial arts classic . CGI has messed with the integrity of live action martial arts but I think 'The One' is a fine example of a decent fusion of the disciplines .
I can't believe how badly it got panned by the critics at release . Personally I reckon people will be still watching it in another 20 years and it'll be a cult movie for the fight genre.
Hunga Munga
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Rebel Moon directors cut Part 1 . (2024) 6.5/10
Watchable sci-fi romp . It's basically 'The Magnificent 7' in space with extra Snyder brand, motivational flashbacks . 😛 Not the worst Zack Snyder movie . I have no idea how Snyder gets the fancypants 'auteur' treatment from Hollywood etc . It must be a generational thing because I think he's longwinded , pedestrian and self indulgent . 😛 .
Watchable sci-fi romp . It's basically 'The Magnificent 7' in space with extra Snyder brand, motivational flashbacks . 😛 Not the worst Zack Snyder movie . I have no idea how Snyder gets the fancypants 'auteur' treatment from Hollywood etc . It must be a generational thing because I think he's longwinded , pedestrian and self indulgent . 😛 .
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