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Huw (Huw)
Username: Huw
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 218.168.184.2
| | Posted on Sunday, May 03, 2009 - 12:24 am: | |
Anyone seen this recent horror film? I just watched it on DVD and enjoyed it quite a lot. It's suspenseful and scary, and the acting and directing is pretty good for what I assume is a fairly low budget film. The creature effects and design are pretty good too. |
Chris_morris (Chris_morris)
Username: Chris_morris
Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 12.165.240.116
| | Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 04:28 pm: | |
I'll bump it up on my Netflix queue. Thanks, Huw.
BTW, I watched MARTYRS two nights ago. I'm honestly not sure if I loved it or hated it, but it sure made an impact. Whew. |
Zed (Gary_mc)
Username: Gary_mc
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 81.96.241.143
| | Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 07:20 pm: | |
Both of these are films I want to see. |
Huw (Huw)
Username: Huw
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 218.168.178.163
| | Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 10:25 pm: | |
Another thing I liked about Splinter was the fact that, for the most part, the filmmakers eschewed the use of CG effects. I've always preferred 'physical' effects. CGI should usually be a last resort, in my opinion. |
Zed (Gary_mc)
Username: Gary_mc
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 81.96.241.143
| | Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 10:30 pm: | |
Agreed, Huw. Rewatching Carpenter's The Thing lately, I was really struck all over again by the uncomfortable sensation "live" effects can provoke. CGI is too clean; it misses the ugly edges. |
Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 81.244.142.129
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 06:51 am: | |
I saw Splinter a few weeks ago. Pretty charming considering the budget. And suspenseful. So, yes, I agree it's worth viewing. But I also had an issue with it, that can be related to the budget, or to perhaps the director's lack of experience. It's a movie where the monster's attacks are filmed in such a frenetic style (blurry speed, shaky, etc) that you don't know what you're actually seeing. And that got a bit on our nerves. Zed mentioned The Thing, and that movie doesn't suffer from ultra speedy blurry editing.
But nevertheless Splinter is something I expect people on this board to like. |
Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 81.244.142.129
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 06:55 am: | |
By the way, I don't want to hijack this thread, but I have to get it off my chest that Dead Snow was somewhat underwhelming. Ok, it's the kind of pulp that you can't switch off (Zombie Nazis creeping out of the snowy mountains !!!) but it could have been a lot better. If I am not mistaken it's marketed as a kind of gore comedy, but Evil Dead 2 it ain't. |
Huw (Huw)
Username: Huw
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 218.168.190.44
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 10:47 am: | |
Tom, I do agree with you (in part, at least) about the way the creature was filmed - I dislike that twitchy, blink-for-a-second-and-you'll-miss-it type of camerawork, but I did like the movements of the creature, all that self-dislocating, the constant rearranging of added body parts from victims - I thought that was pretty nifty. The premise wasn't particularly original (not at all, in fact), but I think it's one of the better examples of its type. |
Huw (Huw)
Username: Huw
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 218.168.190.44
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 10:49 am: | |
Haven't seen Dead Snow, but I'm sorry to hear it was a disappointment - I'm a bit of a sucker for Nazi zombies. |
Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 194.78.35.170
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 05, 2009 - 01:30 pm: | |
Huw, I agree about the convincing creature movements, and as I wrote: in general it was pretty ok, and the very fast camerawork could have been there to hide low budget effects. Or perhaps it was just an inexperienced director.
yes indeed... nazi zombies, it's the kind of pulp topic that makes us all drool. And as I waid: it's împossible to switch it off, but it could have been oh so much more.
meanwhile I will start another thread about my horror movie disovery of the last few months... THE BURROWERS. |
Chris_morris (Chris_morris)
Username: Chris_morris
Registered: 04-2008
Posted From: 98.220.186.44
| | Posted on Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 07:13 am: | |
Saw SPLINTER last night. It was good fun. The premise wasn't terribly original, as Huw said, but the film managed to sneak in a few surprises nonetheless. And I'm with you, Huw, about the advantages of non-CGI effects.
My only complaint? Perhaps I'm nitpicking, but I couldn't quite get my head around what the creature was or how it worked (biologically speaking). I think I'd have found it scarier if I could have understood it a little better. But still -- not bad at all. |
Huw (Huw)
Username: Huw
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 218.168.188.26
| | Posted on Monday, May 11, 2009 - 04:03 am: | |
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris! I'm not too sure about the creature's origins. I think the director left it deliberately vague, although he says on the commentary there are little hints along the way as to where it may have come from. As to its biology, I saw it as something similar to the moster in The Thing, the way it assimilates parts of each new victim. I mean to watch it again soon (along with The Burrowers), so maybe it'll become clearer on a second viewing.
I'm hoping to see either Star Trek or Wolverine this week. Pure escapist fun, which is what a person (me, anyway) needs every now and then. |