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12 hours ago, KillaKukumba said:

I hated Hereditary.

I don't really do horror and I don't keep up with current movies so I've never even heard of this fillm. But I just Googled it to see what it was all about and this happened to be the first review that came up right on the results page:

 

Hetvi Shah

3 years ago

 

Thank god I didn't pay for it.

Hereditary is a movie that did not need to be made. Of course, no movie ever needs to be made, but Hereditary is a movie that really did not need to be made, more so than other movies that have been made. It is a partial mix of Rosemary's Baby with maybe Mother! or other movies that were made but did not need to be made.

It is unclear what Hereditary is about. The genre-fit it claims is drama, horror, and mystery. However, one could also imagine it as a failed black comedy, because the audience who watched with me laughed loudly at either all the wrong times or all the right times. It is a fine line to entertain with intent or by happenstance, because the outcomes are the same. The problem with Hereditary is that it does not move any needle in any perceivable direction, and it is hardly dramatic, horrifying, or mysterious.The build-up to this film -- the trailers, publicity, advance reviews -- had all led me to believe I was going to the cinema to see the best horror film of 2018, something potentially in the same league as Friedkin's "The Exorcist", or Kubrick's "The Shining". But "Hereditary" doesn't deliver the goods. Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne deliver credible performances, but sadly they are let down by the weakness of the storytelling, which never rises above the trite and obvious. In fact, this film is such a maladroit mash-up of established horror tropes, I could be convinced the plot was generated algorithmically. I experienced a couple of mild jump-scares, and was grossed-out a few times; but overall, this film not only failed to inspire a sense of horror in me, it also failed to attain the suspension of disbelief that is prerequisite to genuine horror. Some scenes and effects are so poorly executed, they are actually laugh-out-loud funny rather than scary. 

I cannot account for the praise that has been lavished on this film, or for the high ratings that it currently has on social media sites, except to suppose that the studio has paid a small army of online sock-puppets to generate hype. I expect this will be corrected in coming weeks, as more and more disappointed film-goers make their feelings known. I expected a film comparable to the Woman in Black or even Winchester, or the Grudge...but instead it was an exercise in how different people deal with tragic death in their lives. Too me, it was disturbing. I wanted to be entertained with scary, ghost house doings, but the tragedy of the events in Toni Collette's character's life left me with a sense of dread, and sadness. Initially expecting spooky scares...what was really scary was watching her character slowly dissolve into insanity. I was looking for something the film did not deliver. I went to see this film based on reviews of people who have seen the film and the "star" rating given by publications like Empire and Total Film. The first hour nothing much happened. I thought setting things up for the second hour when things will take off. Wrong! The second hour was a boring as the first. The film boils down to a witches coven trying to give life a demon in a human host. It so bad in parts that the audience including me were sniggering. Seen it done better than this film. Toni Collette I thought was good which is the only reason it got two stars. Apart from her the rest of the cast including Gabriel Byrne was completely forgettable. I can't believe Empire magazine which I place a great deal of reliance to provide a rating which truly reflects how good / bad a film is, got this soooo wrong for this film. What is the big deal?

It could be an artist's interpretation of a family who regularly takes too much Ambien or NyQuil. If that is the case, Hereditary might be the most important movie ever made, in addition to being a subtle suggestion that it is never too early to consider emancipation from your parents, and it is never too early to spray the attic for insects and other pests.

No story at all, not even worth watching even if you get a free ticket!

2-3 scenes are only good. 


 

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I couldn't write that many words about it, but I agree with all except the line about Toni Collette. I like her as an actress but I wasn't impressed with her character and I think she's played heaps better roles in her time.

It's funny how much reviews vary though because I bet there is a heap of reviews that say the complete opposite.

 

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I prefer Clive's books to his movies, so much more detail, so much more story, but to be fair to Clive he gave up all rights to the Hellraiser movies before the first one was even released. Number 2 was based on his story but the rest of them, while popular enough to get made, were nothing to do with Clive and his amazing mind despite him being listed as Executive Producer. He is however listed as co-Producer for Hellraiser 10 based on the book The Hellbound Heart due for release this year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Shudder looks like a mix of hidden gems and rancid garbage. Can’t say I’m overly surprised, that’s true of horror movies in general, and art in a broader sense as well. Anyway a week into the spooky season and so far along with alien I’ve watched 28 Days Later, The Omen, The Babadook, Hellhouse (firmly in the latter Shudder category imo), and Silence of the Lambs, tonight I don’t know maybe Dracula.

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17 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

Shudder looks like a mix of hidden gems and rancid garbage.

Pretty much, yeah lol. Just like every other streaming service.

Anywhoo, been trying to catch up on some 80's horror that I've yet to see. Tried the OG Friday The 13th a couple nights ago and literally fell asleep, that one hasn't aged well, if it was ever even good. Tried the Creepshow movie from like 82' or something and that also did nothing for me. It's probably because I'm younger but 80's horror is very hit or miss for me. Mostly miss.

Watched Imetigore last night though (a Shudder original) and was very impressed. Cool Indonesian folk horror with a unique and interesting plot. Would recommend.

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2 hours ago, KillaKukumba said:

New Hellraiser written by Clive Barker is out this month, not sure what platform/channel/service it's on but I'm hoping to see some reviews before I bother looking to see whether I can get it.

 

I am not confident this will be any good.  The original ones were freaky and demented.  

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I'm more hopeful about this one being better based purely on Clive being a producer and writer. Hellraisers 2-X(the last one) had zero Clive Barker influence and were poor in comparison to the first. Hellbound Heart is a brilliant novel and if anyone can reproduce it well for the screen it's got to be Clive. If I was more confident about it I might consider hunting it out and paying for whatever streaming service it's on, but alas I'll wait for some reviews and until then live in hope.

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It's out on Hulu, and so far I've heard it's good...Jamie Clayton as Pinhead is said to be especially good, and different enough from Doug Bradley's version to make it her own

14 hours ago, KillaKukumba said:

but alas I'll wait for some reviews and until then live in hope

Plenty of reviews are out now...just google who ever you typically trust and they'll probably have it up now

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