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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 7:22:55 PM #1: |
Welcome rankers and non-rankers alike to "Board 8 Watches and Ranks 80s Horror". Over the past few months, the rankers here watched or rewatched 30 juggernauts of the 80s horror scene ranging from cult classics to mainstream smashes known and referenced the world over. It was the decade that brought us slashers, iconic monsters, and some of the most famous & chilling practical effects ever put to screen. And now, they will be definitively ranked - which films were the scream of the crop, or, when it came to the 80s, was dead better?
The rankers: Bitto Evilordexdeath Fortybelowsummer Inviso Jcgamer107 Johnbobb Karo Lightning Mythiot Plasmabeam Rockus Seginustemple Snake The films The Changeling (1980) Friday the 13th (1980) The Shining (1980) Possession (1981) An American Werewolf in London (1981) Creepshow (1982) Basket Case (1982) Poltergeist (1982) The Thing (1982) Videodrome (1983) Sleepaway Camp (1983) Christine (1983) The Dead Zone (1983) Gremlins (1984) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Phenomena (1985) Re-Animator (1985) Fright Night (1985) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) The Fly (1986) Evil Dead II (1987) Predator (1987) The Lost Boys (1987) Hellraiser (1987) Prince of Darkness (1987) Childs Play (1988) Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988) Beetlejuice (1988) Pet Sematary (1989) Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) Points will be in the next post --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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TheArkOfTurus 04/08/24 7:24:20 PM #2: |
Tag
--- Our eyes were removed For our own safety ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 7:24:49 PM #3: |
51
64 91 122 142 142 147 159 162 176 180 181 184 188 200 221 221 222 230 233 242 242 245 253 257 261 296 303 314 316 --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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PrinceKaro 04/08/24 7:28:01 PM #4: |
holy hell at those top of list scores
--- https://i.imgtc.com/a6iBg1Y.jpg Congrats to azuarc on being really good at predicting stuff ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 7:30:41 PM #5: |
So the first ranking is pretty much ready to post but I am actually waiting on @Mythiot write-ups yet
--- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 7:31:01 PM #6: |
But I'll let the topic build up first too
--- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 7:33:46 PM #7: |
The first film only had 1 top ten ranking, and the rest were all 20 and lower.
--- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Bitto 04/08/24 7:35:56 PM #8: |
Interesting score selection. I didn't think there was an obvious top 4 based on what I watch, but they seem to be pretty set. I like that the bottom 4 are close together.
Snake5555555555 posted... So the first ranking is pretty much ready to post but I am actually waiting on @Mythiot write-ups yet We got to wait on the casino! Speaking of which, my bet on Sleepaway Camp. --- I can't live forever With my head and my heart in the clouds ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Blaziken 04/08/24 7:39:04 PM #9: |
I'm gonna bet before the casino goes up as well. I'm just gonna say this: I'm very disappointed in the fact that Basketcase broke the 350 mark. So my bet, out of sheer hope, is going to be Basketcase for 30th place.
--- Inviso thinks all starters should be Fire/Fighting. http://i.imgur.com/oOSm64C.gif ... Copied to Clipboard!
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fortybelowsummer 04/08/24 7:39:24 PM #10: |
13 rankers nice
I'll wait for Vegas so as not to influence the house --- All hail the coming of the Destroyer - the Slayer's time...is now. Live and let live. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Great_Paul 04/08/24 7:40:51 PM #11: |
Tag
Looking forward to seeing how this plays out. --- Bear Bro https://backloggery.com/frausky ... Copied to Clipboard!
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skulltrumpets 04/08/24 7:48:42 PM #12: |
can't wait to see how this pans out ... Copied to Clipboard!
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LightningStrikes 04/08/24 7:56:45 PM #13: |
Yes time to see who the lone Basket Case fan is.
--- I just decided to change this sig. Blaaaaaaargh azuarc ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 8:46:15 PM #14: |
30. Basket Case (1982 / 316 points)
Directed / Screenplay by: Frank Henenlotter https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/07b79b07.jpg Why Its Significant - While not a mainstream horror film and made on a shoestring budget, Basket Case embodies the spirit of exploitation cinema and golden age body horror. Basket Case throws a wrench into traditional horror monsters - unlike other easily-digestible Hollywood horror villains, Belial's raw, exposed form pushes boundaries and forces the audience to confront the uncomfortable. The separation of conjoined twins is a brutal violation, and the film delves into the psychological and physical consequences, creating a sense of unease about bodily autonomy, and forcing viewers to confront the sanctity of the body, the ethics of medical intervention, and the right to bodily self-determination. Duane's unwavering loyalty to Belial, despite his monstrous form, speaks to the power of familial bonds and the struggle for acceptance in a world that deems them freaks. Future films like Society, which features grotesque body transformations as a metaphor for societal corruption, and Teeth, where the female protagonist's monstrous anatomy becomes a weapon against patriarchal oppression, or Malignant, where the hidden twin fuels a desire for revenge, owe a debt to the way Basket Case initially pushed boundaries in body taboos and societal norms. Basket Case had two sequels and was selected for preservation by the Museum of Modern Art in 2017. The Rankings Bitto - 8 Jcgamer107 - 20 Evilordexdeath - 22 Mythiot - 22 Plasmabeam - 23 Rockus - 24 Fortybelowsummer - 25 Snake - 26 Johnbobb - 29 Karo - 29 Lightning - 29 Seginustemple - 29 Inviso - 30 Bitto - I generally de-emphasize acting performances, which is great for this movie, because wow, this is easily the worst acting in the gauntlet. That's impressive! I will instead focus on the overall plot and the characters, both of which I really like. I'm glad the revenge plot ends about halfway through the movie and the rest is about Belial wanting more of which he cannot have and how it creates a rift between Belial and Duane. I like Duane's exasperation with Belial at the end and how it leads to both of their death at the end. I like the overall budget feeling of the movie. It makes it feel personal. The hotel in particular feels like a genuinely solid location by the end. The one time the acting does get in the way is selling the relationship between Duane and the receptionist. I just feel 0 chemistry there and the whole relationship moves really, really fast. Jcgamer107 - 4/10 Evilordexdeath - So this was one of maybe four movies on the list I had seen before we started. I heard about a scene near the end where the protagonist runs around town naked and was curious to see that in its intended context. This is a very dumb reason to sit through a whole movie, and maybe the experience of watching the whole thing waiting for one honestly very mundane scene right at the end increased my feelings of antipathy toward it, but while I don't hate this film I just kind of don't care about any aspect of it. The story is insubstantial and kind of dumb, the characters are dull, the acting is stilted and awkward, the monster looks really stupid, and it's not even so bad it's funny. It's a good example of a movie so mid that seeing a blurry, distant image of a cock is the most memorable part. Plasmabeam - Was about to write Basket Case off as trash until we got the backstory on the monster. That might be enough to save this one from my bottom 5. Rockus - Ultimately won me over to be honest. The performances arent very good and the production is admittedly pretty shoddy, but it takes such a big swing and has a whole lot of personality that its difficult to really dislike it. I might even warm up to it on repeated viewings. It has a kind of charm to it, even with how grimy and seamy it is at times, and how nasty it makes living in New York City look. Pretty fun despite its complete lack of craft, or perhaps even because of it? I dont know. Its difficult to express just why I enjoyed this but its difficult to really hate it. Fortybelowsummer - This movie is so stupid, but its quite hilarious and by the end actually kind ofmoving? The premise is wacky: guy carries around his deformed surgically removed twin and they take revenge on those who have wronged them, in exceedingly bloody fashion. The brothers name is Belial (dick move naming him that, dad, but youll get yours) and he is one pissed off fleshy basketball of a guy. Its an absolute treat watching him maim someone or trash a hotel room in fantastically shitty stop-motion. Turns out all Belial really wants is to grab some titty and maybe a little more (oh god that thrusting), and I guess thats what the movie is really about: the dark side of sexual repression. Whether or not its also a statement about abortion I dont know, but it was definitely an entertaining watch, despite probably the worst acting in any of our films. Snake - Basket Case is one of those films thats more proof of concept than anything else. A close look reveals a film brimming with raw potential often hampered by its narrative limitations. Belial, to me, is a grotesquely fascinating creation, a testament to the creativity that can blossom under financial constraints. The practical effects ooze a grimy authenticity that melds perfectly with the grimy NYC setting on display here, along with its rogues gallery of weirdos all portrayed by uneven unprofessional actors, who, with very little in the way of alternative credits to their names, still add a layer of bizarre charm to the film. Yet, the narrative struggles to maintain momentum beyond the initial shock value. The revenge plot feels simplistic, and character development is minimal. In addition, the sexual assault against Sharon at the end of the film feels like a case of the director simply knowing no other way to end their film. Horrifying, sure, but the lack of deeper exploration of it leaves the act feeling cheap and exploitative. Johnbobb - The only good thing I can think to say about this is that it inspired a much, much better movie almost 40 years later. Karo - So a pair of conjoined twins are separated against their will, and they are out for revenge against all the doctors who performed the surgery. One of these twins is this normal looking person, while the other is a grotesque monster portrayed by a fake-ass puppet. This is not how conjoined twins work, they are simply identical twins who did not separate fully. This means they should look basically the same, not have one of them be fucking Krang or whatever. Anyway, he carries his dismembered brother around in a wicker basket like some sort of pet that he drops burgers in to feed and my god this is just so fucking stupid. The duo somehow get away with multiple murders despite just walking in during broad daylight with many witnesses (one of whom he later dates) carrying a large and memorable basket. The movie is an unremarkable adventure lacking in both medical ethics and medical accuracy, featuring lots of unconvincing creature effects, incompetent acting and an exploitative circus sideshow attitude towards a real condition that real people have. An utter and irredeemable garbage basket. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 8:46:28 PM #15: |
Lightning - Whats in the basket?
This is a wild piece of cheesy yet grimy exploitation cinema with a premise over the top enough to make it often referenced and intensely memorable. The film also seems to have quite a lot on its mind with regards to the way we view and treat people with disabilities, physical differences and other variations despite this being undercut by its also using these for horror. This film has some surprisingly effective aesthetic choices given its micro budget. IT really captures the sleazy New York atmosphere of the time, making it feel gritty and dangerous rather than glossy, which gives it that genuine 80s feeling. Some of the gore is great. The puppet of Belial is also really impressive, though unfortunately the animated version does not look nearly as good. I also liked quite a lot of the twists and turns in the story, especially the flashback towards the end. Unfortunately the films core message is undercut by using its subject as a monster, despite also trying to make him sympathetic and not deserving of hate. The ending sequence is also weak, contrived, and exploitative. Overall this is a fun distraction but doesnt quite manage to become a genuine camp hit. 2/5 Seginustemple - One of the more blatlantly ridiculous concepts on the list, unfortunately the movie feels asstunted as the titular character. Amateur actors, a thin plot padded with generous filler, and not much flavor on that filler. Granted, on a true shoestring budget of only $35,000 (most of which can be seen in the protagonists' wad of cash) it is by far the cheapest movie we watched, and bound to feel outclassed in production quality - even the likes of Tetsuo and Henry have 6 figures behind them. For its scale it's practically a slam dunk. I think what manages to be entertaining about it is that the brother's deformity hardly renders him handicapped, if anything he seems to possess super strength and abilities for being just a head with forearms. How is he breathing, and where does the food go? Doesn't matter. I kept thinking 'biblically accurate pokemon', like Grimer with a Bib Fortuna skin. The tragedy/pathos of his origin just adds another layer of absurdity, the operation didn't appear to leave either one of them any worse off, so why vengeance? They're untethered and thriving! From now on I'll just assume any wicker basket with a padlock on it is bad news. Inviso - It has been a while watching these lists since a movie has made me feel physically ill while watching it, but here we are. Every single thing about this movie is disgusting. The setting looks grimy and gross, the actors look hideous across the board, and the monster is barely even a monster, but rather a bulging, bulbous tumor with teeth. I knew I was gonna be grossed out just from the initial image of Belial appearing when I loaded up the moviebut godDAMN there is nothing good to say about this film. There are terrible fucking extras and minor characters living in the hotel who are meant to be comedic I think? Theyre all awful, and we get like four of five scenes of a monster attack, screaming, and suddenly the entire building has to run down to check out whats happening. Theyre all awful filler scenes, and they just bloat the runtime of an already mercifully short movie. Hell, the sound is terrible too; there is CONSTANT fucking screaming, but theyre not pleasant movie screams that you hear and you GET that the actor is frightened. No, these are raw, visceral shrieks and wretched agonyESPECIALLY the monster, who can only communicate via vomitous screams. Oh yeah, and multiple instances of attempted rape/molestation by the tumor monster against female characters in this filmwhich of course leads to more screaming. Lovely. I fucking hate this movieits one of the most unpleasant watches Ive had in years of doing these lists. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Johnbobb 04/08/24 8:52:40 PM #16: |
a top 10 placement for that fuckin thing is wild
--- Khal Kirby, warlord of the Super Star Khalasar PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Mythiot 04/08/24 8:57:33 PM #17: |
Basket Case is easily the most shoddily made out of all these thirty films. The special effects, especially when it goes to stop-motion are laughably bad and the acting gets downright awful at times when it really needed to be good (especially during the operation scene, good lord. Did they have the actors dub over it when they were half-asleep?) And yet. You can tell there was a lot of love put into it, especially in the characterizations of the hotel tenants, the affectionately grimy depiction of New York City in that time period, and the surprisingly affecting backstory of the two brothers. I really felt for that poor direct-to-video looking meatball. Well, until he tried to rape his brother's girlfriend. The dream sequence accompanying it was pretty creepy and well-shot though. If I had a nickel for every time last-minute monster rape nearly ruined a perfectly good horror movie, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Bitto 04/08/24 9:00:10 PM #18: |
All fair comments and generally agreed on everything. I had a feeling that I would be the sole outlier on this film. But I liked what it had to offer. The rape at the end is...questionable, but I do think it made sense in the overall message the story was trying to tell. It could definitely be more eloquent in what it was trying to tell, but...this movie isn't really eloquent anywhere else, so I wasn't really expecting it.
--- I can't live forever With my head and my heart in the clouds ... Copied to Clipboard!
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redrocket 04/08/24 9:00:41 PM #19: |
Tag
--- It's like paying for bubble wrap. -transience on Final Fantasy: All the Bravest ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Blaziken 04/08/24 9:07:10 PM #20: |
Thank fucking God. That movie is one of the worst I've watched across who-knows-how-many lists I've participated in.
--- Inviso thinks all starters should be Fire/Fighting. http://i.imgur.com/oOSm64C.gif ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/08/24 9:14:15 PM #21: |
Outlier
Bitto - 22 Jcgamer107 - 10 Evilordexdeath - 8 Mythiot - 8 Plasmabeam - 7 Rockus - 6 Fortybelowsummer - 5 Snake - 4 Johnbobb - 1 Karo - 1 Lightning - 1 Seginustemple - 1 Inviso - 0 Bitto takes an early commanding lead leaving the rest still buried deep down in the basket. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Great_Paul 04/08/24 9:23:33 PM #22: |
Basket Case is one of the films that I didn't watch, and it was one of the few on the list that I wasn't looking forward to.
--- Bear Bro https://backloggery.com/frausky ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Suprak_the_Stud 04/08/24 9:25:55 PM #23: |
Great_Paul posted...
Basket Case is one of the films that I didn't watch, and it was one of the few on the list that I wasn't looking forward to. --- Moops? "I thought you were making up diseases? That's spontaneous dental hydroplosion." ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Seginustemple 04/08/24 9:53:50 PM #24: |
I wasn't sure how to read the dream sequence at the end. Is the point that Duane is dream-piloting Belial, or is Belial in control and Duane simply receives it telepathically?
--- You bow to no one, azuarc ... Copied to Clipboard!
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plasmabeam 04/08/24 10:05:22 PM #25: |
VEGAS IS OPEN, BABY!! (And I'm giving Inviso the house minimum $500 for guessing Basket Case despite the oddsboard not being up).
Vegas Rules:
ODDSBOARD: +650 Friday the 13th (1980) +650 Sleepaway Camp (1983) +650 Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988) +800 Phenomena (1985) +800 Re-Animator (1985) +1000 Prince of Darkness (1987) +1000 Pet Sematary (1989) +200 Any Other Movie (+2000 if guessed correctly) Current Leaderboard: 1) Inviso $500 (Basket Case 500) Vegas Hall of Fame:
--- ~Jacksonville Jaguars~ ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Seginustemple 04/08/24 10:08:16 PM #26: |
Well the next one has got to be Sleepaway Camp
--- You bow to no one, azuarc ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Johnbobb 04/08/24 10:12:24 PM #27: |
The next one better be fuckin Sleepaway Camp
--- Khal Kirby, warlord of the Super Star Khalasar PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Bitto 04/08/24 10:16:02 PM #28: |
Get me on Sleepaway Camp.
--- I can't live forever With my head and my heart in the clouds ... Copied to Clipboard!
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fortybelowsummer 04/08/24 10:20:26 PM #29: |
I'm guessing Tetsuo for next...
--- All hail the coming of the Destroyer - the Slayer's time...is now. Live and let live. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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PrinceKaro 04/08/24 10:36:39 PM #30: |
I will guess Sleepaway Camp
--- https://i.imgtc.com/a6iBg1Y.jpg Congrats to azuarc on being really good at predicting stuff ... Copied to Clipboard!
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skulltrumpets 04/08/24 10:55:24 PM #31: |
well that was an unsurprising drop I guess ... Copied to Clipboard!
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LightningStrikes 04/09/24 3:57:43 AM #32: |
plasmabeam posted...
VEGAS IS OPEN, BABY!! (And I'm giving Inviso the house minimum $500 for guessing Basket Case despite the oddsboard not being up). Hey, I said Basket Case too! LightningStrikes posted... Yes time to see who the lone Basket Case fan is. Anyway, too many people are saying Sleepaway Camp for me to not say Sleepaway Camp --- I just decided to change this sig. Blaaaaaaargh azuarc ... Copied to Clipboard!
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jcgamer107 04/09/24 4:05:17 AM #33: |
Ha, that's funny that I'm the 2nd-biggest fan of Basket Case, so to speak. I basically didn't mind it...... thought it was kind of funny and ridiculous, but obviously not scary at all. But at least it didn't take itself seriously.
plasmabeam posted... 2010s Horror: InvisoI contest this and I'll guess that Killer Klowns is next --- azuarc wasn't even home. he was playing Magic the Gathering at his buddy's store, which is extremely easy to verify ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Evillordexdeath 04/09/24 5:07:10 AM #34: |
Didn't really expect Basket Case to be #30 but can't complain. When Inviso posted about having just seen one of the worst movies across all lists I thought he was talking about Possession (1981).
I'll hop on the Sleepaway Camp bandwagon --- I'm playing every game from GotD 2020! Games Completed: 20/129 (Currently on Hiatus) ... Copied to Clipboard!
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plasmabeam 04/09/24 8:26:46 AM #35: |
LightningStrikes posted...
Hey, I said Basket Case too! Missed that! I'll give you $500 the next time I do the leaderboard. It won't let me edit the post right now. --- ~Jacksonville Jaguars~ ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Inviso 04/09/24 8:34:57 AM #36: |
I'll guess Sleepaway Camp as well, because it...definitely deserves it when viewed through a modern lens.
--- Touch fuzzy. Get fuzzier. Inviso ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Inviso 04/09/24 8:35:38 AM #37: |
Evillordexdeath posted...
Didn't really expect Basket Case to be #30 but can't complain. When Inviso posted about having just seen one of the worst movies across all lists I thought he was talking about Possession (1981). I struggled to brush my teeth for two days after watching Basketcase, because I kept picturing Belial and it made me gag. --- Touch fuzzy. Get fuzzier. Inviso ... Copied to Clipboard!
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plasmabeam 04/09/24 9:25:12 AM #38: |
Snake5555555555 posted...
Johnbobb - The only good thing I can think to say about this is that it inspired a much, much better movie almost 40 years later. Which movie are you referring to? --- ~Jacksonville Jaguars~ ... Copied to Clipboard!
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LightningStrikes 04/09/24 9:40:01 AM #39: |
Im assuming, big spoilers for a certain 2021 horror film,
Also plasma I agree with you that the flashback in Basket Case is the best part of the movie by a lot. --- I just decided to change this sig. Blaaaaaaargh azuarc ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Raka_Putra 04/09/24 10:14:19 AM #40: |
Tag!
--- God has heard my soul. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Johnbobb 04/09/24 10:26:53 AM #41: |
plasmabeam posted...
Which movie are you referring to?Kind of a slight spoiler for the movie but --- Khal Kirby, warlord of the Super Star Khalasar PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Johnbobb 04/09/24 10:27:22 AM #42: |
LightningStrikes posted...
Im assuming, big spoilers for a certain 2021 horror film,Oh whoops I should've read the rest of the posts --- Khal Kirby, warlord of the Super Star Khalasar PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Evillordexdeath 04/09/24 1:29:49 PM #43: |
Inviso posted...
I struggled to brush my teeth for two days after watching Basketcase, because I kept picturing Belial and it made me gag.lol I must admit Basket Case was one of the movies I didn't rewatch for the list (I saw it like 2 years ago and was confident a second viewing wouldn't change my opinion of it), so my mental image of Belial was basically the "Goblin" from the game Damn Dolls: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/78b585ff.jpg --- I'm playing every game from GotD 2020! Games Completed: 20/129 (Currently on Hiatus) ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Inviso 04/09/24 2:08:49 PM #44: |
Also, I don't think I went hard enough in emphasizing how outright terrible the sound is in this movie. The screaming and groaning effects are disgusting in how they sound like a literally person watching as their childhood dog is being drowned in front of them. That's both the scream of agony from the person, and the horrific noises coming from the drowned animal. Every moment of "horror" audio in Basketcase is painful and awful to listen to, and it happens SO often, because every other seen in some sort of gruesome murder.
--- Touch fuzzy. Get fuzzier. Inviso ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/09/24 2:14:45 PM #45: |
29. Sleepaway Camp (1983 / 314 points)
Directed / Written by: Robert Hiltzik https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/768c86bb.jpg Why Its Significant - Sleepaway Camp's infamous ending is undeniably a watershed moment for the horror genre. This twist, whether you consider it problematic in its portrayal of gender identity or a transgressive game-changer, undoubtedly left audiences speechless either way. While this is the biggest part of the film's enduring legacy, the awkward dialogue, strange pacing, and often nonsensical scenes makes it stand-out just as much, capping off one of the most gonzo slashers of the 80s that ends up being far removed from the Jasons & Freddys of the decade. Sleepaway Camp received four sequels, a spoof movie, short-film spin-off, and potentially has one or several other sequels / spin-offs in development. Jcgamer107- 10 Fortybelowsummer - 14 Karo - 19 Seginustemple - 21 Inviso - 22 Evilordexdeath - 27 Lightning - 27 Mythiot - 27 Bitto - 29 Plasmabeam - 29 Snake - 29 Johnbobb - 30 Rockus - 30 Jcgamer107 - 7/10 Fortybelowsummer - Stop me if youve heard this one: kids go to camp in the 80s and start getting picked off one by one by a deranged killer. Yes, its been accused of being too derivative, but its pretty obvious that Sleepaway Camp has far more going for it than just being a rip-off of Friday the 13th. It is its own entity and actually better in many ways. The practical effects are outstanding, from the guys skin blistering up, to the mouth snake, to the neck arrow. The characters are fleshed out and generally more than just fodder for the killers blade (or bees). Most importantly its a real commentary on bullying and forced gender identity. I dont see it as transphobic, but it has provoked conversation. Yes a lot of the production aspects are pretty poor quality, but I think it stands out from other shallow slashers. Finally, the ending is absolutely legendary and one of the most shocking and terrifying moments in all of horror. When I first saw this I didnt expect much, but its become a personal favorite, and I dont hesitate to recommend it to horror fans that may have missed it. Karo - So there's a bunch of deaths at a summer camp which for some reason hasnt been shut down despite the owner being a psychopath, the cook being a child molester, and many egregious safety violations in almost every aspect of camp life. I then endured an hour and a half of these brats just so I could find out that the person that was quite obviously the killer was in fact, indeed the killer. Oh, and the girl has a penis! (also expected) I really hate how the reveal is framed and how the movie wants me to feel horrified or disgusted at the revelation like its attack of the killer crossdressers or something, and the tiresome anyone who is different is a monster that is to be feared tripe. I suppose you could make the argument that it decently portrays the harm done when a child is forced into a gender they don't identify with, though I guarantee that was absolutely not the fucking intent of the producers of this. There is probably more to unpack on this issue, but this movie is neither good or remarkable enough to be worth any more of my time. It is certainly something, and I didn't like it. Seginustemple - Wow, I've never seen a movie pull off a last-second hail mary like that. 99% of the runtime is so-bad-it's-good territory, then the last 1% is jaw-droppingly great. Totally creeped me out and had me re-evaluating a lot of what came earlier. I still think the one guy should have been able to escape the beehive kill, that was too funny. He had so much time to get away! Inviso - First things first, I all but guarantee at least two write-ups on this list will be critical about how problematic the plot isand its FUCKING problematic. Not only does the movie disparage gay people (by showing a completely normal and loving gay relationship with the implication that its psychologically damaging), but it very much disparages trans people by randomly having Angela turn out to be Peter the whole time, just making her emotionally damaged and traumatized due to her lunatic of an aunt. And this revelation comes as Angela, who has been viewed as a girl the entire movie, has stripped down and is covered in the blood of a boy she tricked into loving her, with her dick out. This movie is fucking problematic. That aside, as a genderfluid queer person myself, I understand that this is a product of its time, and that aspect of the movie doesnt completely tank it in my eyes. If anything, my biggest problem with the movie is how it does not feel like the producers or the writers had enough content to fill a feature-length movie. There are SO many scenes of mundane camp activities, and while a bunch of them are set-up for kills or reasons as to why kills happen, you still have a bunch of socials and parties and capture the flag games, and camping trips, and it eats up SO much time over the course of the movie. Plus, there are so many repetitive scenes of Judy being a bitch to Angela, Meg egging her on, and then someone breaks up the confrontation. Or Paul flirting awkwardly with Angela while shes socially awkward herself. Or just general repeated shots of Angela interacting with someoneby which I mean the camera gives a close-up of her dead-eyed stare. That being said, the framework of the plot really works. Now granted, going into the movie, I knew the twist ending. But the movie does a good job of really painting all of Angelas victims as assholes (well, aside from the little kids, who are just little shits, more than anything else). Hell, her first victims introductory scene is him creeping on little girls while his co-workers laugh about it. So, this winds up being one of those movies where its fun to watch assholes get whats coming to them. Plus, there was a point after the third kill (fifth if you count the opening sequence) where I started to get annoyed that the camp was still holding activities after two deaths and one attempted murderbut thats the point where the movie really speeds up. Eight of Angelas eleven murders are in that last sequence, and I appreciate the ramping up in that regard, because it really helps with suspending disbelief. Final shoutout though: so many characters in this movie are irredeemable, largely to justify them getting killed. But I just want to shoutout Ronnie and Susie as the only camp counselors who seem like genuinely good and helpful people throughout the entire film. Theyre the only people who seem to care about the kids well-beings enough to want to actively prevent Angela from getting bullied, and having those good characters are helps to at least ground the film and keep it from feeling TOO over-the-top in terms of having a camp completely populated by shitheads. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/09/24 2:15:00 PM #46: |
Evillordexdeath - Is this supposed to be some kind of so bad it's good B-movie cult classic? The acting is next-level awful and there are a few points that are so cheesy and dumb it's a little funny, but not that funny, definitely not funny enough to justify sitting through an hour and 20 minutes of this shit. This is a fairly by the numbers slasher very ineptly executed although some of the kills are slightly more interesting than certain other slasher movies set in a summer camp one could mention. While in older slashers the notion that the victims kind of deserve to be killed is subtext and they're really just annoying, this film makes it very clear that the victims are all targeted as a form of revenge for either bullying or in one case sexual predation. This doesn't make it remotely more interesting. I just thought I'd make that observation about the themes. The one thing I did like was that although most people at the camp are over-the-top assholes there are certain characters who are shown to really care, and the most enjoyable scenes for me were the ones where specific people were nice enough to ultra-shy main character Angela to earn her trust and get her to talk to them.
Lightning - Eat shit and die, Ricky! / Eat shit and live, Bill. What an absolutely bonkers film this is. Overall this is a super campy, exciting film with some great dialogue, absurd performances and memorable kills that seems like the kind of film that Friday the 13th should have been. Until of course it takes an unfortunate turn at the very end. The film starts with an odd, almost stereotypical depiction of a tragic accident then goes into a bizarre scene with one of the most absurd performances I have ever seen from the aunt. It is absolutely wild that she is acting this way and delivering lines like that, and as we see at the end, this is absolutely intentional. Then we get to see a definitely super safe summer camp populated largely by paedophiles, then we start to see some of the very nasty kids and adults meet even nastier ends. The kills here are great, and truly use the camp setting to its full advantage rather than just people getting stabbed. This film also isnt afraid to get nasty, even killing its child characters. The film for almost its entire runtime is an entertaining, simply bizarre slasher film. Unfortunately, for me this is spoiled by its ending which I found to be transphobic, using the trans serial killer trope as well as the transphobic conspiracy theory of forcing kids to be trans, as well as homophobic with the linking of exposure to a same sex relationships with being psychologically disturbed. Now, this movie does have many more charitable readings from queer viewers and I will not force my interpretation on anyone else, that is the beauty of art, it is inherently subjective. Apparently the sequels may mollify it a bit also. However, for me this just left a bad taste in my mouth and took me out of the movie, which is a shame because it was a lot of fun until then. If it doesnt bother you that is okay, but it bothered me. Great last shot however. Bitto - Rating: F This could have been a C- movie. It's entertaining, even if all the characters are pretty flat and the villains are comically evil, or at least, as evil as you could get in a mundane teenager story. The pacing is good. The dialogue kinda reminds me of 2019 IT where all these pre-teens and teens are aggressively acting like they're adults in a way that clearly shows their immaturity. But then the ending happens and that all goes out the window. OK, so the killer is the sheltered girl, which seems obvious. But what's not obvious is that she's actually her brother, raised to be a girl!!! And that makes her....um? Psychopathic? Even outside of a modern 2024 lens, this is just bad. She's like...hissing and scowling at the end like an animal. She kills the character that clearly cared a lot about her. She kills literal children, just because they threw sand at her. She seems sane for most of the movie. And what the hell was that scene where both the brother and sister saw their dad with a man and then the brother molests the sister? It's just so problematic and the fact that it ends on that is just so annoying. The fit campground leader said it best. He literally sees a kid be decapitated and his only reaction is "my god...she's a boy!!!" as if that's the thing to focus on here. Plasmabeam - Went into this movie blind and wasnt sure whether it was deliberately bad or not. The twist with the quiet girl was the only thing I really enjoyed here. Snake - With a better writer, Sleepaway Camp couldve been an all-timer, a psychological slasher perhaps up there with the likes of Psycho. Okay, maybe thats a bit far, but seriously, theres potential here - potential thats completely squandered by shallow cardboard-cutout characters, lacking any real development, complete with everything you expect from a B-movie level script - namely wooden line deliveries and melodramatic outbursts substituting for real acting. Lets be real here - this film is only worth discussing even remotely because of its ending. The portrayal of gender identity is insensitive at best, and transphobic at worst. Its the kind of thing I watched when I was a little younger and thought it was the most shocking, interesting thing ever but as I get older and become more knowledgeable about this subject, it leaves a hollow feeling of exploitation rather than genuine surprise. With a more nuanced approach and a script that treated its characters with respect, Sleepaway Camp could have explored themes of trauma, repressed sexuality, and societal expectations in a truly unsettling way. Instead, it resorts to cheap shock tactics and insensitive portrayals, missing the opportunity to be a thought-provoking horror classic. Johnbobb - https://i.imgur.com/djVBcLH.gif This place has everything. Sexual violence against children, terrible prosthetic bodies, weird transphobia... a protagonist who's more traumatized by her dad being a gay man than she is by him being violently killed in front of her. Look there's a lot of stuff that doesn't age well from the 80s but I have my limits. Fuck you. Rockus - I assume this is largely infamous because of the shocking reveal at the end, which I ultimately just thought was pretty trashy. You might be able to have fun with it in an ironic way, if it isnt supposed to be campy, with a lot of the lines and tropes but its surprisingly pretty tame up until the last twenty minutes. I thought the only memorable kill was the one with the curling iron but otherwise its a basic rinse and repeat low budget slasher with a memorable ending, and even at that it would be more enjoyable if it just looked a little better. But its shot like an old TV sitcom. It looks terrible. Big disappointment. Out of this whole lineup, which is largely really good, I only dislike maybe one or two of these films and this is one of them. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Inviso 04/09/24 2:25:07 PM #47: |
Absolutely fair and deserved...that movie does NOT hold up by modern standards, and probably did some damage the perception of the LGBTQ+ community in the process.
--- Touch fuzzy. Get fuzzier. Inviso ... Copied to Clipboard!
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fortybelowsummer 04/09/24 2:27:30 PM #48: |
Oof, harsh reviews. Even though I like SC for the most part I totally get the hate for it especially looking at it through a modern lens
--- All hail the coming of the Destroyer - the Slayer's time...is now. Live and let live. ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Johnbobb 04/09/24 2:34:00 PM #49: |
What's frustrating is there WERE aspects of Sleepaway Camp that were very good. The performances and protective relationship between the siblings was really endearing. Eat shit and live is a great line!
But the good aspects were completely wasted in favor of the godawful everything else --- Khal Kirby, warlord of the Super Star Khalasar PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs ... Copied to Clipboard!
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Snake5555555555 04/09/24 3:06:41 PM #50: |
Outlier
Jcgamer107 - 29 Bitto - 22 Fortybelowsummer - 20 Karo - 11 Evilordexdeath - 10 Mythiot - 10 Seginustemple - 9 Plasmabeam - 7 Inviso - 7 Rockus - 7 Snake - 4 Lightning - 3 Johnbobb - 2 jc takes a huge lead catching Bitto sleeping while everyone shuffles around in minor ways. --- I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. If you're gonna scream, scream with me ... Copied to Clipboard!
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