Tag

Longform

Posts tagged Longform, newest first.

All posts

‘Predator 2’ at 35: The Most Underrated Sequel in the Franchise

Everyone has a different definition of a “perfect movie”, but regardless of your specific criteria for perfection, I think we can all agree that John McTiernan’s Predator is and forever will be a timeless classic. When faced with such a massive success, it’s only natural that Hollywood would want to turn this standalone story into […] The post ‘Predator 2’ at 35: The Most Underrated Sequel in the Franchise appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Looking Back on the Lovecraftian Thrills of ‘The Valdemar Legacy’ and its Sequel

H.P. Lovecraft adaptations certainly aren’t rare, but despite a number of relatively faithful and sometimes even terrifying retellings, these movies seldom manage to replicate Lovecraft’s unique style. After all, the Rhode Island author infused his work with a peculiar blend of horrific excess and existentialist philosophy, so it makes sense that even masters of the […] The post Looking Back on the Lovecraftian Thrills of ‘The Valdemar Legacy’ and its Sequel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Revisiting the Steampunk Nightmares of ‘The City of Lost Children’ 30 Years Later!

While he’s mostly known for 2001’s quirky rom-com Amélie, French Filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet actually began his career by telling darker stories that felt like they were ripped straight out of childhood nightmares and dreamscapes. Back then, the director would often partner with his close friend Marco Caro, an animator and comic-book artist who co-directed […] The post Revisiting the Steampunk Nightmares of ‘The City of Lost Children’ 30 Years Later! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Revisiting the Visceral Frights of Over-Hated Found Footage Movie ‘Chernobyl Diaries’

The desire to blend reality and fiction in film predates the Found Footage genre by literal decades, with classics like The Legend of Boggy Creek and even the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre dipping their toes into documentary-inspired filmmaking long before in-universe-cameras became popular. Of course, it was only after The Blair Witch Project that […] The post Revisiting the Visceral Frights of Over-Hated Found Footage Movie ‘Chernobyl Diaries’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Returning to Down Town: Was Henry Selick’s Bizarre Dark Comedy ‘Monkeybone’ Really That Bad?

The mainstream film industry seems like it’s finally ready to accept that animation can also be used to tell adult-oriented stories, but there are still very few animators that specialize in creating hand-crafted frights. In fact, most of the popular spooky animated films out there were actually directed by the same legendary filmmaker – the […] The post Returning to Down Town: Was Henry Selick’s Bizarre Dark Comedy ‘Monkeybone’ Really That Bad? appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Let There Be Carnage and Dancing: Ranking All 3 ‘Venom’ Movies

Corporate interests will always get in the way of artists trying to tell a good story, and that’s partly why I think comic-books are so damn magical. Even in a medium that’s mostly controlled by a handful of giant companies with strict rules about their intellectual property, you can still see miraculous bursts of creativity […] The post Let There Be Carnage and Dancing: Ranking All 3 ‘Venom’ Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Early Found Footage Film ‘The McPherson Tape’ Remains Chillingly Effective Decades Later

The Legend of Boggy Creek. Cannibal Holocaust. Man Bites Dog. These are the usual suspects whenever someone brings up the origins of modern-day found footage. However, it was a long road full of cinematic experiments before these films would give rise to the movie that popularized the genre – The Blair Witch Project. After all, […] The post Early Found Footage Film ‘The McPherson Tape’ Remains Chillingly Effective Decades Later appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“A Duel of the Freaks” – The Monster Movie Madness of Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ Films

It’s baffling just how easy it is to take a good movie for granted after watching it so many times that its success appears to have been inevitable. And while seeing your work become a household name seems like an artist’s greatest achievement, it’s a shame that this process can sometimes overshadow the weird and […] The post “A Duel of the Freaks” – The Monster Movie Madness of Tim Burton’s ‘Batman’ Films appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

‘Batman: The Long Halloween’ – Revisiting the Darkest Caped Crusader Movie

Whether it’s because of the character’s bat-inspired get-up or his eerie rogue’s gallery comprised of killer clowns and mutant madmen, it’s only natural that horror fans tend to gravitate towards the Caped Crusader when it comes to choosing a favorite super-hero. This genre influence extends to big-screen adaptations as well, with even Christopher Nolan’s hyper-realistic […] The post ‘Batman: The Long Halloween’ – Revisiting the Darkest Caped Crusader Movie appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Looking Back on the Humorous Meta-Murder of ‘Seven Psychopaths’

Despite being a storytelling staple since before the term was even coined (not to mention sparking several mass panics), real life psychopaths are exceedingly rare. It’s estimated that only about 1% of the population is truly devoid of empathy, and even then, most of them seem content with working jobs where they feel powerful rather […] The post Looking Back on the Humorous Meta-Murder of ‘Seven Psychopaths’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Looking Back on the Underrated Xenomorph Campaign in 2010’s ‘Aliens vs. Predator’

Every time a new licensed horror game gets announced, a sizable chunk of the horror community emits a collective groan when it’s revealed that upcoming the title will be an asymmetrical multiplayer experience. While I actually enjoy the virtual hide-and-seek thrills of titles like Dead by Daylight and Gun Interactive’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre, I […] The post Looking Back on the Underrated Xenomorph Campaign in 2010’s ‘Aliens vs. Predator’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Appreciating the Pulpy Sci-fi Horror of ‘Alien: Resurrection’

Despite its ups and downs, I’ve always respected the Alien franchise for daring to try something new with every new entry. From Vietnam allegories to reimagining Chariots of the Gods as a Lovecraftian origin story for the Xenomorphs, the series challenges the very concept of genre as it explores what might go wrong when humanity […] The post Appreciating the Pulpy Sci-fi Horror of ‘Alien: Resurrection’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

‘The Beastmaster’ – Don Coscarelli’s Wonderfully Schlocky ‘Phantasm’ Follow-Up

There was a time when most genre fiction was lumped together as a single collection of unserious literature by both critics and magazines. This is why weird fiction often shared an audience with sword and sorcery (and why writers like Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft could connect over their stories), with both genres influencing […] The post ‘The Beastmaster’ – Don Coscarelli’s Wonderfully Schlocky ‘Phantasm’ Follow-Up appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Revisiting the Religious Horror of Ti West’s ‘The Sacrament’

The very same faith that can drive humanity to build majestic works of art and band together to help those in need is also responsible for some of the most horrific events in our species’ history. This is something that genre filmmaker Ti West seems to understand very well, with many of his projects at […] The post Revisiting the Religious Horror of Ti West’s ‘The Sacrament’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Stallone vs. The Night Slasher: ‘Cobra’ Is a Quintessential Slice of 1980s Action-Thriller Schlock

Picture the mid-80s. The United States are halfway through the Reagan era and Sylvester Stallone has just set his sights on Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Beverly Hills Cop. Hellbent on starring in a crime thriller, the Rambo and Rocky veteran goes so far as to rewrite the script in order to replace most of the humor […] The post Stallone vs. The Night Slasher: ‘Cobra’ Is a Quintessential Slice of 1980s Action-Thriller Schlock appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Looking Back on the Stop-Motion Nightmare of 1986’s ‘The Pied Piper’

Genre classifications tend to fall apart the further we look back in time. That’s why nearly all the original versions of classic fairy tales contain at least one bizarrely horrific element or another. From the Evil Queen’s cannibalistic intentions in Snow White to the Big Bad Wolf successfully devouring both granny and Little Red Riding […] The post Looking Back on the Stop-Motion Nightmare of 1986’s ‘The Pied Piper’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Diving into the Musical Madness of 1983’s Rock Opera ‘Rock & Rule’

With the release of films like Mad God and The Spine of Night (not to mention a poignant reminder by Guillermo del Toro at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony), it seems like Western audiences are one step closer to catching up with the rest of the world in realizing that animation is more than capable […] The post Diving into the Musical Madness of 1983’s Rock Opera ‘Rock & Rule’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Remembering That Time Nicolas Cage Battled Satanists in ‘Drive Angry’

What is it with Nicolas Cage and evil cults? From the trashy thrills of his Wicker Man remake to the stylized hyper-violence of Mandy, the veteran actor has taken out countless crazed believers throughout the course of his long and varied career, and I don’t think he’s about to stop anytime soon. That being said, […] The post Remembering That Time Nicolas Cage Battled Satanists in ‘Drive Angry’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A New Dimension of Terror: 6 Underrated Horror Movies Shot in 3D

For as long as there have been films, there have been filmmakers attempting to enhance the theatrical experience through the use of gimmicks. From the red-eyed skeletons of William Castle to the “odorama” cards of John Waters’ Polyester, gimmicks are the puns of the filmmaking world: memorable and effective in small quantities, but annoying when […] The post A New Dimension of Terror: 6 Underrated Horror Movies Shot in 3D appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Building a Better Sequel With ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’

It’s an interesting time to be a horror fan. From artsy genre mashups to the modern slasher renaissance, it appears that there’s a scary movie for nearly every kind of viewer these days. Personally, I think one of the most fascinating genre trends in recent years has to be the rise of horror flicks inspired […] The post Building a Better Sequel With ‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.