Why does Justin Long keep running into these situations? He’s just a everyman douche bag (ok rapist in Barbarian), why’s he got to end up with the serial killers? But he’s so good in these kinds of movies.
This movie isn’t your typical horror movie in that there’s only one scene of gore and it’s 99% tension. The tension in this movies comes from finding tension in the plot points that a normal horror movie would rush through.
The one point to illustrate is that kind of talk right before sex where you’re both kind of saying sentences but you’re so riled up and ready to go that you’re not really making much sense and so the conversation kind of takes detours and goes to weird places because, at least for the guy, all blood as drained from your brain that’s able to communicate verbally.
In a normal horror movie they might have some lines like that before the sex. Maybe a couple of lines before the seduction. I would assume because a writer wouldn’t feel confident writing it or might find it embarrassing. That phase goes on for at least 10 minutes in this movie. You can tell Justin Long is just ready to go and so when Kate Bosworth gives him odd answers or does something a bit odd he can’t tell if he should go play along because she’s so riled up she’s not making sense or what’s going on. It’s just so well done that I found myself stopping what I was doing and just watching the movie.
Did you see V/H/S 1? The opening short (after the frame introduction) is about a couple of guys out on the prowl and well…if you haven’t seen it, I think you’ll love it.
For a feature, I think you’d also love The Invitation (2022).
Inspired by the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, the film follows a young woman who, following her mother’s death, meets long-lost family members for the first time, only to discover the dark secrets they carry with them.
On Netflix.
I included the year because there’s a 2017 movie also called The Invitation. That one is also great, but the plot is very different.
Yes. Love this. I should say that I’m a musician and music lover and believe that a great original score elevates the material. So a good movie can be made very good, or very good can be made great with the right music to lift it. I think even OK films can be made “good”.
Both of those movies are elevated due to incredible scores that fit them so well. Though I would argue that for Ghostbusters as well which you weren’t the biggest fan of. I hope you find some enjoyment in The 'burbs, because I deeply love that movie.
Is that the one with the party in the Hollywood hills? Because that movie rocks. If so, and you havent seen it, the lead stars in Uprgade which is a top level recommend from me. He took 6 months of movement coaching for the movie and youll see why during it.
I’m surprised I don’t see him in more stuff. He was in a show called Quarry on cinemax I believe that was really good but it wasn’t renewed past season 1 i think, which sucks. Check it out
Nice, RF, you done Upgrade yet? Its on Max and 100% worth a watch. A real nice follow up to Leigh Whannel’s time with the Saw and Inisidous series before he made Invisible Man
Yes. I recommend Upgrade whenever I can. I recently suggested it to a doctor friend who writes medical thrillers about AI being integrated into hospital settings. I suggested Upgrade for the kind of payoff reveal at the end I think modern audiences need.
Kept that one vague for the uninitiated.
We should restart our movie club. Some good taste ITT. Leigh Whannell Marathon if nothing else. Truly an auteur when making movies.
With Halloween over I’ve tried to get back into the habit of watching non-horror movies, but I got brought back in. Maniac Cop is just a banger of a 1980’s slasher film and I think it deserves more love. Directed by cult/camp legend Larry Cohen, it’s a perfect blending of a slasher movie with a NY cop drama. Has an absolutely legit old-school 80’s car chase scene. Stars scream queens Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins, it looks grimy and wonderful.
Maniac Cop 2 is good too. Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Robert Z’dar returning as the cop, and a nude scene from Paula Trickey of Pacific Blue if you’re into that sort of thing. Just trashy 1990 horror B-movie goodness
