Stinger839

Member since 9/16/2008, last signed in awhile ago.

"When the Dead Walk the Earth, Run Like Hell"

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Personal statement:

Trying this out as an alternative/supplement to my flixster profile. So far, I like the group feature here and the ability to syndicate my reviews. I will mostly just review new stuff, but if I like spout, I will eventually transfer all my reviews from flixster and other places.

_addicted to the horror genre, particularly zombies; tend to watch foreign, documentary, dark comedy, classics, dystopian sci-fi/fantasy, independent, experimental, animation, extreme

_reclusive writer, staunch film analyst, bitchy movie reviewer

This Raving Imp wrestles paradoxical drivel

_kelly-King

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Stinger839's movie tags

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Re:New wave french horror??
By Stinger839 in HORROR MOVIES 101
"I know this were posted a while ago, but I'm too damn passionate about these movies to not reply. 'Haute Tension' was my intro to this modern phenomenon, and I boldly declare that it is a magnum opus and a sublime reworking of the slasher film. I haven't seen 'Mirrors' yet, but so far I'm of the belief that Aja and Levasseur could be the saviors of contemporary horror if they continue on with such strong work. Calvaire has an atmosphere of creepiness that is wholly unique, and A L'Interieur was just plain fun and some of the coolest most inventive gore I've seen since Lucio Fulci. I'm SO EXCITED to find out about Malefique, I Stand Alone, Sheitan, and Trouble Every Day. Another recent flick for this genre (which I can't find here on SPOUT): Frontière(s) " [More]

Picking bones
By Stinger839 in HORROR MOVIES 101
"[quote user="elmonstro1982"] Im talking about films where you feel like your in the movie, like Blair Witch (which wasn't too good), American Zombie, Behind the Mask, and Cannibal Holocaust...films where the movie is from the view of the cameraman. A good example, (though it isn't horror) is Cloverfield, which I thought was directed geniously. [/quote] "Horror mockumentary" implies that it's the making of a horror movie, in which case Troma's 'Terror Firmer' is undoubtedly the champ. This field of film you're talking about, I usually label as "handheld horror" or "found footage", and I've had people also call it "neo-realism" (though I do believe that was specific to Man Bites Dog). Is it a stretch to call it horror verite? I've used that term before. ANYWHO, my faves are tied between Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and Cannibal Holocaust. Another cool handheld horror I recommend that hasn't gotten much publicity or distribution: The Zombie Diaries Also while we're here ... " [More]

This Group Needs a Picture
By Stinger839 in Extreme Cinema
"Alright so two cyber fellas certainly don't capture this group. My immediate thought was to put a still from 'Cannibal Holocaust' but I thought that might add a notion of genre bias and limitation on discussions. Then I thought to put up an actual picture of a grotesque corpse or summat, but realized that undermined the purpose of the community addressing the 'extreme' exclusively as represented in calculated film art. So I open the floor to submissions, and hopefully we'll get enough members that it could be proper voted on or summat. " [More]

Re:Extreme Films
By Stinger839 in Extreme Cinema
"Big it up to Dr.Gor for kicking off discussion. I'm new to SPOUT, so I don't know how lists within groups usually work, but basically I didn't want people adding stuff willy-nilly as I wanted the 'Paradigm Extreme' list to be temporarily an intro into what the group's about, and eventually just the creme de la creme. I'm open to expanding it (and The Exorcist was my biggest oversight) but I would like to maintain control over it and keep it relatively small. As of now, I didn't include films I hadn't seen yet even if they were definite extreme by what other film analysts have said (Nekromantik, Ilsa She Wolf of the SS, Baise-moi, Irreversible, Antropophagus pop into mind) and if membership picks up here, the goal for this list is to make it what its title says, "Paradigm Extreme". Like I've got a few Miike titles on there, and though an expanded 'Extreme Cinema' list would probably include all or most of his filmography, ideally only one maybe two of his titles would be on the 'Pa ... " [More]

Oldboy

This Rant is Good for You
By Stinger839 in Stinger839 Blog
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"Of the Chanwook Park Vengeance trilogy, Oldboy is the middle piece, the one with the least subtext and the most predictable, and not surprisingly the one with the most orchestrated glorified violence that the American market devours. And the one with the most pointless deus-ex machina "twists" may I add, whereas plot "twists" in the other movies unravel like a perfectly dropped ball of yarn cascading in a straight line down a staircase. This is the weakest movie of the trilogy, and anyone wishing to understand the subtext of Chanwook''s vision should at least do him the courtesy of watching Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance before taking to analyze this in terms of theme because the movies are meant to be like a chord. One note - nothing but repetitive sound. Three notes- a chord. And Oldboy is an annoying note. It's a great movie but it's just not anywhere as good as the other two. " [More]

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Pretty Good, that
By Stinger839 in Stinger839 Blog
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"*Available for free viewing at Hulu.com Being of my generation, I first saw Michael York as Austin Powers' boss. Seems in the 70s he was quite the adventure/scifi hunk, as Logan's Run is still fresh in my mind. Here in this movie, he is touch and go with his acting, and the critical transformation scene(s) were noticeably underwhelming and amateurish. I can't compare this to the book or the 1996 film as I haven't read/seen them in a while, and I can't contrast it to Island of Lost Souls as I haven't seen that version yet. I love the Dr. Moreau story, and it would seem a simple translation to film in terms of choosing story elements, but the plotting of this feels very forced and as unnatural as the doctor's animal-people. The story is one that addresses many philosophical issues in an astute manner, but this movie's dialogue and plot elements do not reflect these issues, as the movie is devoid of subtext. The most wasted role is that of Maria, as her character's interesting develop ... " [More]