Patrick Martin said:I used to be absolutely obsessed with comic books when I was younger, but looking back at 2004, it had already been about twenty years since I really sat down to read them... such a shame, honestly.
Exactly! Honestly, I think "30 Days of Night" is such a fantastic, gripping reason to finally dive back into the world of graphic novels. 😉
irontiger29 said:First off—let's talk about the visuals. I was really crossing my fingers that they’d find a way to capture that gritty, high-contrast Sin City vibe on screen, but man, they just turned everything pitch black... honestly, looking back, I think they might have been better off just making a feature-length animated movie instead.
I really can't stand it when a horror flick completely loses its momentum because the pacing is just totally off... for me, *Dog Soldiers* still sits at the very top of the list for great tension! And don't even get me started on those cliché American vampire movies—they were kind of charming at first, sure, but now they just feel incredibly repetitive and stale.
It feels like trying to translate Nielsen's specific drawing style into animation would be an absolute mountain to climb, but then again, if they managed to pull off something as visually unique and stylized as *A Scanner Darkly*, who am I to say it isn't possible? 🙂
Patrick Martin said:I just realized this is actually an adaptation of a comic book! 🤦 If that’s the case, then I guess it makes sense, and since I’ve honestly never picked up a single issue of the 31 Nights comic, I feel like I should apologize for being such a critic. Looking back at those first few posts, there was no way for me to know that wasn't mentioned, because if you're dealing with an adaptation, my whole perspective shifts slightly for the better—though maybe not by a huge amount...
Look, I don't know if you're a big fan of graphic novels or not, but if you are, you have to admit that the original source material is basically part of our shared pop culture DNA. 🙂
Hey everyone! If anyone is looking to dive into this universe, here is the exact reading order for the graphic novels...
1. 30 Days of Night 2. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days 3. 30 Days of Night - Return to Barrow 4. 30 Days of Night - Bloodsucker Tales 5. 30 Days of Night - Three Tales 6. 30 Days of Night - Spreading the Disease 7. 30 Days of Night - Eben and Stella 8. 30 Days of Night - Red Snow 9. 30 Days of Night - Beyond Barrow 10. 30 Days of Night franchise
Patrick Martin said:I honestly can't wrap my head around what everyone sees in that movie! I mean, there’s an entire dedicated thread for it and everything, which just seems like overkill to me. If you actually want to see a real, properly made vampire film, you really need to go watch something else instead. I was just sitting here thinking back to that 2009 release, Jack, and honestly, it really sticks in my mind! It’s one of those films that stays with you long after the credits roll, isn't it? I remember watching it on a rainy Tuesday night—probably with a huge bowl of popcorn, if I'm being honest—and just getting completely sucked into the atmosphere they created. There was something so unique about the way it was put together that year; it didn't feel like everything else coming out at the time. Even now, looking back, I find myself appreciating the craft behind it more than I did during that first viewing. It’s definitely one of those gems that deserves a bit more attention! 😬
Oh, come on, you can't be serious about Jack! You really have to sit down and give it a watch.
I was just sitting here thinking about some old-school horror gems, and I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to *The Jitters* from 1989! Honestly, there’s just something so incredibly nostalgic about those late 80s flicks, isn't there? It really takes me back to those Friday nights spent huddled on the couch with a huge bowl of popcorn, waiting for that specific kind of tension to build up on the screen. Even though it's a bit of a deep cut, it has such a unique energy that you just don't see much in modern cinema anymore. I always find myself revisiting these older titles because they have this raw, unpolished charm that feels so much more personal than the big-budget blockbusters we see today!
I was just scrolling through IMDb earlier today and stumbled upon the page for this classic, and I honestly couldn't help but get a little nostalgic! It’s one of those films that really stays with you, isn't it? There’s just something about the way these older stories are told that modern cinema sometimes struggles to replicate, even with all our fancy CGI and high-budget spectacles. I remember sitting down to watch this years ago, maybe on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Chicago, and being completely captivated by the atmosphere. It’s such a standout piece of filmmaking, and looking back at the details on the page really reminded me why it holds such a special place in my heart. If you haven't had the chance to revisit it lately, I highly recommend carving out some time this weekend to dive back in—it's truly worth it!
You know, I was just thinking about those Asian vampire tropes you see in movies—those guys who leap around like kangaroos with their hands thrown out in front of them! It’s such a specific vibe. Apparently, if you actually want to stop one of them, you can't just use brute force; you have to take a scrap of paper covered in some kind of ancient, mystical calligraphy and slap it right onto their forehead, though of course, it has to be soaked in blood to actually work! 🤣
irontiger29 said:So, to wrap it up... everything 😁but really, I'm wondering if the comic is actually going to keep coming out? Honestly, everything after the first volume has been a bit of a mess, though I have to admit the artwork is absolutely stunning.
Personally, I started feeling like the comic was losing its way starting right with "Dark Days," so basically from the second volume onward. 😉
But hey, it doesn't even matter! I thought the movie was fantastic... a total breath of fresh air for the vampire genre! That whole Alaskan setting just hits different... such an incredible atmosphere... and, yeah, the vampires definitely talk more in the comic... if anything, it feels like they do even more there than they did in the film. 😉
Look, I’ll say it again because it bears repeating... honestly, the one silver lining when it comes to all these remakes is that they might actually nudge at least one out of ten people to go back and check out the original masterpiece. 🙂
I mean, if you ask me, they’re probably just going to crank up the graphic violence even more, and honestly, that’s about all there is to it. I can't really imagine what else a remake could actually bring to the table besides that. But hey, I guess we'll just have to sit tight and see how the charmingly talented Marsden handles the whole thing. 🙂
I honestly can’t wrap my head around why anyone would bother with a remake of this movie—I mean, what could a modern version possibly bring to the table that the original didn't already nail? Maybe more violence? Sure, that's an option, but let's be real: Peckinpah's masterpiece is already absolutely bursting with it. It might not look quite like the hyper-stylized carnage we see in theaters today, but back in the early seventies, it was nothing short of shocking. Besides, how do you even attempt to replicate that gritty atmosphere and raw, unpolished soul of the original? And don't even get me started on trying to top Dustin Hoffman's performance; I truly believe he never reached those heights of character transformation at any other point in his career. 🤷
That being said, I'll definitely be checking out the remake once it hits screens. 😉
James Turner3 said:Fine, if you're such a genius, why don't you just go ahead and invent a horror movie that's actually fucking terrifying then? I mean, I guess people today just get worked up over everything they see on screen. This whole concept of filming ghosts out of pure curiosity is actually a pretty interesting idea. Sure, maybe there's no point in making sequels to movies like PA, but honestly, nobody expected people to demand this level of absolute authenticity. Besides, the guy behind the camera clearly has his own ideas he wants to share with an audience while making a little money on the side. If someone doesn't like the premise, they can just skip the movie and keep their baseless whining to themselves.
To be perfectly honest, it surprises me more that anyone still falls for this style of filmmaking (ever since The Blair Witch Project) than it does seeing people complain about it. 🙂
And regarding the money side of things, you have to hand it to PA... the film was shot for "only" $15,000 and it already pulled in five times that amount in its very first weekend! If that doesn't qualify as a movie worth watching—regardless of whether someone thinks it's cheesy or not—then I really don't know what does. 🤷
It makes total sense to expect sequels after a hit like that.
shadowscout8 said:To be honest, I thought both PA movies were actually pretty solid and interesting... I managed to uzivjsti through both of them. They aren't exactly cinematic masterpieces, but they tied everything together nicely, and I had a good time! I'm definitely going to watch the third one too, though I'm not really setting any expectations.
I've always been a huge fan of the whole fake documentary/mockumentary/found footage concept—call it whatever you want, I just love the vibe.
Watching PA 2, especially after hearing all those scathing reviews, I was actually pleasantly surprised... not to mention those little moments where I found myself shouting, "A-ha! So that's how it started!" or "So that's what happened!" which is exactly what the movie is supposed to do, right? I mean, for me, they tied everything together into a really cohesive story with great atmosphere and a few decent scares—which is honestly all I ever look for in this genre.
To first one felt like such a fun, solid little mockumentary prank! My only real gripe was that out of all the possible ways they could have ended it, they went with the absolute most underwhelming conclusion—apparently, they took a tip from Steven Spielberg on that one, if you can believe it. As for the second installment, I don’t know, maybe I’m just the only person out there who thought it was actually decent enough? Regardless, I’ll definitely be sitting down to watch the third part... not that I’m sitting by the mailbox counting the days until it drops, mind you...
This is definitely something I’m counting down the days for! I absolutely adore Cronenberg; honestly, I think he’s easily one of the most brilliant directors working today.
To be totally honest, the subject matter isn't usually my cup of tea, but I have so much faith in him. He always manages to dig way deeper than just the surface level because he actually understands human emotion and knows exactly how to build real, gripping drama.
But wait... has Viggo Mortensen basically become his go-to actor at this point? 🙂
Laura James36 said:I read a review from someone who caught an advance screening of the movie recently, claiming it was just mediocre. I really hope they're wrong and that it actually turns out to be better than that. Besides, ever since I watched The Black Cat a few years back and saw the brilliant Jeffrey Combs playing Poe, I haven't been able to picture anyone else in the role; the man absolutely crushed it.
Oh, it really was a phenomenal performance! And that’s not even all! He actually played none other than the master himself, H. P. Lovecraft, in the anthology film Necronomicon (1993)! 🙂
If you ask me, *The Bonfire of the Vanities* is easily his weakest effort. Even with such an incredible cast assembled on screen—I mean, who wouldn't want to see that much talent in one room?—I just couldn't find my footing with it. It felt like this massive, messy jumble of a movie, and I honestly just lost myself in all the chaos.
brighteagle39 said:I’d like to bring up a film that didn't make the cut... I'm talking about Raising Cain from 1992. It truly is an excellent piece of cinema, especially with the performance by John Lithgow... Generally speaking, I have a great deal of affection for all of the films directed by Brian De Palma.
Man, I remember watching that one ages ago, and if I'm being totally honest, I found it incredibly dull! That said, I could definitely see myself giving it another shot—I'm quite certain my opinion might have shifted since then. 👍
If I’m being totally honest and going purely by gut feeling, I find myself constantly torn between *Carrie* and *Scarface*. In my mind, those two are the absolute crowning achievements of his career, whereas I feel like movies such as *Carlito's Way* and *Sisters* are criminally underrated gems that deserve way more love than they get.
I ended up casting my vote for *Scarface* because... well, let's be real... *Scarface* is just *Scarface*. It's an icon. 🙂
I just finished watching this, and man, it is worlds away from what people usually expect when they hear the name Kevin Smith. It’s this gritty, low-budget action thriller about religious fanatics who lure three teenagers into a trap via the internet by promising them some kind of windfall—and that’s really just where the chaos begins.
Personally, I actually enjoyed it, even if it doesn't dive too deep into philosophical questions or offer many profound answers. To be clear, once you strip everything else away, it’s your classic siege movie: you've got the bad guys barricaded inside, the good guys fighting their way in from the outside, and a frantic shootout happening in between where people die fast and suddenly. You don't really get a chance to form a deep emotional connection with most of the characters (except for John Goodman, who is absolutely phenomenal!), so you mostly just find yourself observing the madness unfold almost like a documentary until the very end.
If you’re looking for the classic, witty Kevin Smith style, you should probably skip this one. Likewise, if you’re demanding something more intellectually heavy, it might not be for you. However, if you're just in the mood for some pure, unadulterated entertainment and intense gunplay without overthinking the plot, then honestly, go ahead and give it a watch.