What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

RedRiver
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by RedRiver »

Blackie Lagoon! The work of a talented B feature director who never hit the big time. Jack Arnold's resume reflects a lot of minor stuff. A lot of TV. But two Creature films, THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and the big bug thriller TARANTULA are more fun than a barrel of, well...big bugs! IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE is a fairly serious sci-fi story. The Audie Murphy western NO NAME ON THE BULLET is thoughtful and ironic. A western only in particulars, the story could take place here and now. This was a creative filmmaker who, I presume, just didn't get the breaks.
Western Guy
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Western Guy »

Totally underrated, RedRiver. Maybe not a Welles or a Hitchcock, but an entertaining filmmaker, and often that matters most.

NO NAME ON THE BULLET is a minor masterpiece, IMO.
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Rita Hayworth »

Western Guy wrote:Totally underrated, RedRiver. Maybe not a Welles or a Hitchcock, but an entertaining filmmaker, and often that matters most.

NO NAME ON THE BULLET is a minor masterpiece, IMO.
I love NO NAME ON THE BULLET ... too!
MikeBSG
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by MikeBSG »

Today I took my son to see "Jurassic Park" in 3-D.

We had seen the film before plenty of times. He had never seen it on the big screen, and he was thrilled out of his mind.

I didn't think 3-D added anything to the film. In fact, I felt a little "boxed out" by the process. I liked "Hugo" much better.

I did have a curious reaction to "Jurassic Park." I have seen the two sequels to this film. In "Jurassic Park," it is implied that Sam Neill and Laura Dern are an item, and a major theme is how Neill's character overcomes his dislike of children while being chased by the dinosaurs. (He proves himself worthy of being a dad, in other words, or rather, in no words, but this is strongly implied.)

In "Jurassic Park III," it is revealed that Dern married someone else and became a mother without Neill.

So while I'm watching "Jurassic Park" today, all the scenes pertaining to the "Sam Neill warms up to kids" theme just struck me as phony and a waste of time. The sequel had defaced the original film.

I find that odd. I have seen all sorts of sequels -- the Universal Frankenstein films, Hammer Frankenstein films and Dracula films, etc. Never before has a sequel ruined an original film for me. Why did it happen this time?
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intothenitrate
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by intothenitrate »

Hi Mike. I'm not really up to speed on that franchise; I only saw JP during its first run in the theater. Funny though, I very nearly picked up The Lost World at the library to watch with my kids over the weekend. Instead, I checked out a copy of the recent Marvel blockbuster Thor. When I picked them up at their mom's, they we were waiting with a copy of The Avengers to screen. I thought that a funny coincidence. They got me up speed on the way Marvel had been making films about the individual characters, filling us in on their back-stories, and deliberately leading up to the film The Avengers. I find with films like that, I need to watch them twice to tell if I liked them or not. The first time through, I just let the filmmaker toss me around by the brain stem. On the second viewing, I have a chance to evaluate the story.
"Immorality may be fun, but it isn't fun enough to take the place of one hundred percent virtue and three square meals a day."
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MikeBSG
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by MikeBSG »

I find that I have really liked both "Iron Man" movies. (The third one comes out in May.) I also enjoyed "Thor" and "Captain America" a great deal, AND I liked "The Avengers." It helps, I guess, that I was a fan of the comic books (except, oddly enough, Iron Man. When he was not with the Avengers, I didn't care for him, something that is now not the case with the movies.)

We'll see how long Marvel's winning streak lasts.
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sandykaypax
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by sandykaypax »

I really liked all of The Avengers films. My hubby is a huge comic book fan, so I went to the first Iron Man just because it was his turn to pick the movie--and I also like Robert Downey, Jr. I was surprised how much I liked it. I also REALLY liked the Thor film. It was Shakespearean in scope. So, I look forward to all of the films in the series.


Jurassic Park, though--UGH. I kinda hated that film. Why did there even need to be a sequel? Oh yes--money to be made.

Sandy K
RedRiver
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by RedRiver »

When I saw JURASSIC PARK, there were kids running out of the theatre. Little ones, their moms hurrying to grab them. Say what you will about the movie. It sure scared those kids! I'm getting annoyed with Marvel's serialization of these stories. I didn't understand some of what happened in AVENGERS. I hadn't seen all the background. The ongoing adventures of James Bond and Tarzan stand by themselves. It's fun to see them all. But you're not lost if you haven't.

Marvel comics did the same thing when last I read them. A story would begin in SPIDER-MAN, continue in DAREDEVIL, escalate through several other titles before hitting the climax. The solution? Buy all the magazines!

We'll see how long Marvel's winning streak lasts

There may be some life left at the box office. But they're starting to lose me. I didn't care for AVENGERS. THOR was disappointing. IRON MAN was good. But not good enough to make me watch the second one. Good old Spidey! The best of the comics. Most entertaining of the movies.

I was a fan of the comic books (except, oddly enough, Iron Man

Remember Iron Man's big, bulky costume? In very early issues, he looked like a robot! Wide and thick and cumbersome. I liked that better!
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Rita Hayworth
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Rita Hayworth »

Voyage of the Bottom of the Sea
1961 Film


Image
Seaview ... World's first Atomic Submarine ...

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Walter Pidgeon as Admiral Nelson
Robert Sterling as Captain Crane

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Peter Lorre as Commodore Lucius Emery
Joan Fontaine as Dr. Susan Hiller
Barbara Eden as Lieutenant Cathy Connors

Also stars Frankie Avalon and Michael Ansara too ... it was a big bold movie with lots of action and drama ... stars galore and I enjoyed this Irwin Allen's Production about a world crisis regarding the Van Allen Radiation Belt. I haven't seen this movie in years and I enjoyed it today on many movies channels that I got. Well acted (generally) ... Internet Movie Database gave it an slightly above average grade and I would say the same. But, it was entertaining to watch at times. Great Special Effects and the danger of the Giant Octopus engulfing Seaview was good.

It was fun watching today.

I enjoyed it and I was surprised how well it made back in 1961. This movie helped created a TV Series that starred Richard Basehart and David Hedison later on ... these two pictured below.

Image
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sandykaypax
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by sandykaypax »

When I saw JURASSIC PARK, there were kids running out of the theatre. Little ones, their moms hurrying to grab them. Say what you will about the movie. It sure scared those kids!
Redriver, that's WHY I hated Jurassic Park! It scared the holy crap out of me! My husband (boyfriend at the time) assured me that it wouldn't be scary. Boy, was he in hot water. We still joke about it. I just find dinosaurs SCARY.

Sandy K
RedRiver
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by RedRiver »

Great big animals that eat people. They are scary! This is basically the same concept as JAWS.
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JackFavell
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by JackFavell »

Jurassic Park is the only movie I've ever screamed at. I mean IN the movie theater. Then I laughed because I was embarrassed. What I screamed at was such a calculated scare, and nothing really happened at that point. It's the scene at the end where the kids are in the kitchen. The raptor comes up and...BREATHES ON THE PORTHOLE WINDOW. That's it. It was actually funny that I screamed.
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mrsl
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by mrsl »

Rita:

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, I liked both the movie and the TV series later. The only thing that gets me in the movie however, is Barbara Eden trotting around in HIGH HEELS ! ! ! That literally makes me laugh.
Anne


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Rita Hayworth
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by Rita Hayworth »

mrsl wrote:Rita:

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, I liked both the movie and the TV series later. The only thing that gets me in the movie however, is Barbara Eden trotting around in HIGH HEELS ! ! ! That literally makes me laugh.
Same Here Anne! ... We both on the same page! :)
RedRiver
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Re: What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

Post by RedRiver »

A neatly calculated scare can be fun, Wendy. Maybe not creative genius, but effective. More than once I've imagined myself a filmmaker charged with just such a task!
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