Hounding After Hours

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Jcomp

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I never got around to seeing The Uninvited. It's a remake of one of my favorite horror movies (or movies period), A Tale of Two Sisters, and I just have zero faith that it would come close to the quality of the original. I'm not necessarily anti-remake, but I just had no desire to see that one.

Regarding preachiness in horror flicks, I haven't noticed it as much. I think it depends on how its handled. There have been classic horror movies that made a comment one way or another on current events and issues. The original Dawn of the Dead takes plenty of swipes at consumerism, but it's handled well enough that hardly anyone accuses it of preachiness. But when a story is clumsy about its message, or just clumsily executed overall, any attempt at social commentary is going to come off very poorly, more so than if you just trotted out a clumsy story that had no socio-political commentary. It's like if you're just juggling apples, no one really cares if you're a lousy juggler. But if you're trying to juggle a baby, a chainsaw and a glass vial of smallpox, people are going to justifiably lambast you if you screw up.

Some storytellers really need more practice on the apples before they reach for the chainsaws and infants...
 

TedTheewen

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I enjoy social commentary. And that's different than preaching.

I do say I find it interesting that in the Paranormal Activity movies any discussion of religion to counter the threat is shot down quickly. That does seem to make an interesting statement. Personally, I'm fascinated by religion in general so films like The Last Exorcism really interested me.
 

BriMaresh

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I just saw The Possession again recently, and I loved it - up until they showed the monster. I don't care about their stance on religion or social issues (like negligent parenting or divorce - which clearly can be cured by having a bad enough thing happen to you, thanks for that message, Hollywood), but they have got to stop trying to create independent creepy things.

You can get a lot more mileage out of a creepy little kid and whispering background sounds than a CG monster. The second we see it, the film stops being spooky or fun.
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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Hey Hounds!

Bri--haven't seen The Possession yet, but that's disappointing. The trailers looked decent. Not terribly original, but decent.
 

BriMaresh

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Rhoda - it's based on a true story, which makes it all the more fascinating. I've seen a few ghost show documentary-style investigations into the original story, as it appeared on e-bay, and it's fascinating. Half of me wants to say "it's nonsense," the other half goes, "well, that is a long string of coincidences - and verifiable coincidences."
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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Really? Huh. Hang on, I'm not sure I'm thinking of the right thing... This is the one with the dybbuk, right? The girl finds a spooky box at a yard sale and Bad Things come out of it?
 

BriMaresh

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Yes! It is! The box ended up going on ebay, because they wanted someone who knew what they were getting in to to get it, and that's where the whole story was first written out, including the box's origins.

I guess currently the box is "sealed" and hidden in a secret location, so it won't hurt anyone else. It's very interesting, and had awesome potential as far as creepy stories went.
 

Rhoda Nightingale

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I don't reckon it's the CG, but the fact that we see the monster, period. It always dampens the mystique. Stephen King has a great observation about that in Danse Macabre, by the way.
 

BriMaresh

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True enough, that - our imagination is superior.

As to soup types, because I feel literal, home made potato and bacon soup: You have butter, milk, cream, potatoes, bacon, pepper, and onion, all in a big pot, basically.

First, fry the bacon in the bottom of the pan, then add/saute (in butter) the onion (same pan, don't take the bacon out).

Then you add the potatoes and cream and milk (should just cover the potatoes, don't want it to go too high over or your soup will be thin, should be about half cream, half milk).

Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are fall-apart soft.

Stir.

Add pepper and enjoy!

..that's how my grandmother does it, naturally, so that's how we do, too.
 

BigWords

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I don't reckon it's the CG, but the fact that we see the monster, period.

This has actually been bothering me in several recent films - the ubiquitous monsters add nothing we haven't seen before, and feel like they have been added solely because people expect there to be a creature to make the film count as horror.

At this point, I'll direct everyone to go watch Carnival Of Souls again, and note the sparse, terrifying way that was handled...
 

BriMaresh

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I think a lot of modern horror is missing the human element, too. That's one thing I absolutely loved about Cabin in the Woods. The people in it were cliches, to some extent, but also people. All my favorite stories aren't about the scary things, but about the people who are facing them, and how it changes them.
 

ASC McLaren

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*nibbles on ASC's leg anyway*

Anyone have some ranch dressing?

Ahhhhhhh, Thank you Abi!

We always hurt the ones we lo...damn. Okay, so I missed you. ;)

I've been so pissed of late, and I thought I would let you all miss my angry posting. :rant:

I've been trolling the $#!# outta FB.....



But if Abi keeps nibbling my leg, I ain't going anywhere.
 

BigWords

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Whenever you get really aggravated, the best (legal) way to get it out of your system is to get it all down on paper - use the frustration to propel your words. :) And it is easier on the hands than punching someone... :D
 

BigWords

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Use everything - the good, the bad, the indifferent - from your life in writing, and the words should have more power. I have cannibalized so much of my past for stories (with suitable embellishments) that I am gonna have to go out and do more weird stuff soon so I have something to write about. :D
 

ASC McLaren

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You guys are awesome. That is why I haven't been posting here. I should be (also) funneling my frustration onto the page.
 
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