The GMG SF/Fantasy/Horror Club

[DarkAngel]

But isn't the suspenseful buildup the entire point of those movies?

In theory yes, but

Majority of horror movies are very formulaic and predictable if you have seen enough of them (especially teen slasher genre), at 2X speed you can still see in detail all the action and atmosphere........you can condense a typical 90 minute horror flix into 45 very good minutes and 45 less important minutes, even Halloween has filler that can be scanned through without missing much

[DarkAngel]

I love the good old Universal Studios famous monsters films which include Dracula, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein and The Mummy. I remember going to a special "Universal Studios Famous Monsters Movie Night" that was being shown in the studios amphitheater way back in the 1970s. It was great watching these very movies that were actually filmed on the Universal Studios back lots back in the 1930s.


 

 

I don't have the patience to watch all the old versions of Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman again today but I definitely appreciate the artistic quality that is very evident in these early classics.



I did buy the Frankenstein Legacy Collection as these are my favorite of the early classics, especially Bride of Frankenstein.

Also to get a brief overview of very old and newer lesser known horror movies I don't have time to actually watch I just received the 5 DVD collection narrated by Christopher Lee giving overview with scences of many horror movies.........anyone have this by chance?

[DarkAngel]

I just received the 5 disc Blu Ray edition of Blade Runner........
I just had to see how you could fill 5 discs of info about this one movie. It is not one of my very favorite top three Sci Fi flix, but there is no denying the artistic skill used in its delivery by Ridley Scott

If I could keep only 1 Sci Fi movie it would most definitely be the Alien Quadrilogy set, a masterpiece
I patiently await release of a future Blu ray version....even though DVD set is pretty good quality

[DarkAngel]

New remaster released today not getting good reviews for picture quality...........unfortunately 

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Predator-Blu-ray/11375/#Review

[Bogey]

That is unfortunate.  I have Total Recall sitting here to watch on Blu-Ray.  How is the quality on that one?

[DavidW]

If I could keep only 1 Sci Fi movie it would most definitely be the Alien Quadrilogy set, a masterpiece
I patiently await release of a future Blu ray version....even though DVD set is pretty good quality

I disagree, the first one looks great, the second and third look bad and I'll never rewatch the fourth!   You can tell that the first had a much more impressive remaster than the second and third.

[DavidW]

That is unfortunate.  I have Total Recall sitting here to watch on Blu-Ray.  How is the quality on that one?

Not reference quality apparently, but pretty good (I haven't seen it on bd only vhs lol!)

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/48/totalrecall.html#Section3

[Bogey]

Not reference quality apparently, but pretty good (I haven't seen it on bd only vhs lol!)

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/48/totalrecall.html#Section3

I enjoyed this one again.  A bit of a so-so wrap up to the film, but still it worked for being 20 years old.

Quick blu-ray player question: Can the disc drive on these machines be a bit more noisy than what I am used to?  I did find this about my machine:

http://www.best-blu-ray.com/reviews/samsung-bd-c6500-review

Dang audiophile tendencies of mine!   Maybe I should buy more expensive cables.....*runs out of the door*

[DarkAngel]

Quick blu-ray player question: Can the disc drive on these machines be a bit more noisy than what I am used to?  I did find this about my machine:

http://www.best-blu-ray.com/reviews/samsung-bd-c6500-review

Dang audiophile tendencies of mine!   Maybe I should buy more expensive cables.....*runs out of the door

I have never had a Blu Ray or DVD player where I could hear noise from its disc drive operation......
but even the loudest models should not be audible from seating position let alone when movie sound starts so shouldn't be an issue to be concerned with.

Xbox 360 however sounds like a small jet engine with its fans going, this definitely can be a problem during quiet movie sections, fortunately newest Xbox 360 model just released is now much quieter 

[DarkAngel]

Cundey color can be found in the 1999 2 disc set that has the extended TV minutes version, 12 extra minutes of footage added to make movie better fit a 2 HR timeslot on TV (first image)

H25 version is 2 disc 2003 release with new remaster having slightly brighter colors and less blue tint, does not have extended TV minutes but does have more complete list of extras including full 87 minute documentary about making the move (2nd image) Used copies are so cheap might as well get both and see what color you prefer......(I have both but no Blu ray)

I have to give Rob Zombie the highest praise........
I just purchased this used and think it is a modern horror masterpiece, a truely fitting modern update of one of the greatest horror films of all time.

This is a long film at 2 hrs, the first hour adds new storyline for Michael Myers showing problems at school and his growing rage at the mental institute, the climax breakout from mental institute showing rednecks sex scence with masks in Michael's holding cell is horror masterwork by Rob Zombie

The 2nd hour closely follows original Halloween story with nice expanded original touches by Zombie, the original tense scence of Laurie in closet with Micheal breaking through slats with knife is now expanded to 10-15 minutes of Micheal tearing down walls and ceiling of original Meyers old home chasing Laurie very tense, and the final scence of the movie with killshot and photo is again a masterwork by Rob Zombie.......

Anyone else impressed with this

[DavidW]

I have never had a Blu Ray or DVD player where I could hear noise from its disc drive operation......
but even the loudest models should not be audible from seating position let alone when movie sound starts so shouldn't be an issue to be concerned with.

Xbox 360 however sounds like a small jet engine with its fans going, this definitely can be a problem during quiet movie sections, fortunately newest Xbox 360 model just released is now much quieter

Well the 360 is not a blu-ray player.  I have had one player that was noisy-- the ps3, not that noisy, but audible.  I've heard that the slim model is quieter.  But I've ran through several standalone players and they've all been quiet.

[DavidW]

Wow DA I thought I was the only one that liked the Rob Zombie remake!

Even though his sequel doesn't get high marks from me, if you watch it, watch the director's cut which restore the parts where it is explained what the heck is going on.

[DarkAngel]

Wow DA I thought I was the only one that liked the Rob Zombie remake!

It is too violent and sadistic to have the mass appeal of original Carpenter Halloween, but Rob Zombie has great imaginative style for this genre without crossing the line into a silly parody, this is intense scary stuff that can be very disturbing

[Josquin des Prez]

I disagree, the first one looks great, the second and third look bad and I'll never rewatch the fourth!   You can tell that the first had a much more impressive remaster than the second and third.

Agreed. Plus the new editing of the third film is absurdly sloppy. There's quite a few extra scenes which are well filmed and actually add to the film in a way restored scenes usually never do, and then they ruined the whole thing by adding unfinished scrap floor footage (including a scene with no sound, wtf?) and replacing the entire dog/birth sequence with a scraped, workshop variation which uses a cow instead. Horrible, just plain horrible. I was forced to rip the film and use my own editing just to make the whole thing watchable.

[DavidW]

I absolutely hated that scrap footage!   I would prefer rewatching my ep mode vhs record off of hbo instead.  Blech!

[DarkAngel]

Agreed. Plus the new editing of the third film is absurdly sloppy. There's quite a few extra scenes which are well filmed and actually add to the film in a way restored scenes usually never do, and then they ruined the whole thing by adding unfinished scrap floor footage (including a scene with no sound, wtf?) and replacing the entire dog/birth sequence with a scraped, workshop variation which uses a cow instead. Horrible, just plain horrible. I was forced to rip the film and use my own editing just to make the whole thing watchable.

I thought the expanded version of Alien 3 was better watch......
except the final cruciform plunge by Ripley into the furnace causing the subsequent abortion of infant alien bursting out, added effects not as good as the simplier dramatic original footage me thinks

As far as the escape pod wreckage footage in scrap junk area and subsequent alien face hugger implanting on dog (or calf) I will have to watch that again and see what the fuss is all about, I don't remember being concerned with this previously in expanded version

I also definitely don't recall Alien (1) having better upscaled picture compared to Aliens or Alien 3
will have the revisit this in near future. I have three releases of first three movies:

  2003 all 4 movies, 9 discs total


  2004 collectors edition of first three movies, 2 discs each


2008 unrated 3 disc set first three movies

[DavidW]

The first one was very carefully restored for the theatrical rerelease and it shows.  Watch again, you'll see it is MUCH BETTER than 2 or 3.

[Bogey]

The first one was very carefully restored for the theatrical rerelease and it shows.  Watch again, you'll see it is MUCH BETTER than 2 or 3.

All due to that Goldsmith score, David.

[Scarpia]

Amazing the Alien series and Jaws (celebrating it's 35th aniversary) are not available on brd yet.   

[DarkAngel]

Amazing the Alien series and Jaws (celebrating it's 35th aniversary) are not available on brd yet.   

Yes must be some contract snag these would be huge money makers, also add to the missing in action list Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park series.....no Blu Ray yet   

We can look forward to Aliens prequel which will be directed by Ridley Scott himself, movie is in pre-production, it is definitely a done deal.......possibly two prequels will be filmed at the same time. Sigourney Weaver will not be in these since they occur before her Ripley character was born, but the lead character will be a woman according to RS, this could be a masterwork with large budget for RS to work from!

Will trace the origins of Alien creature and the indentity of strange looking pilot of wrecked spacecraft where Alien eggs were first found in Alien debut movie