Topic: Wes Craven

[Najemikon]

I decided tonight that Wes Craven is an overrated hack. I just wanted to say it out loud. Oops! Sorry. Forgot the "IMO"...

I already consider The Last House on the Left to be the worst film I have seen. Tonight, I decided to watch Nightmare on Elm St. It's been years since I saw it and I fancied catching up. I was very disappointed. Like Friday the 13th, the character has managed to disguise a mediocre film.

The basic premise is fantastic and Robert Englund's performance is truly one of the best movie villains. I like the history of the character too and some of the imagery is marvellous (girl getting slashed on the ceiling; Freddy coming through the wall, etc). But overall, it's a bit rubbish. Stupid cliche characters doing stupid things and if there was an ounce of logic in the film they might have had more of a chance! For every good bit, there was a stupid bit, and it's the stupid bits that stick in the mind.

I wasn't quite so passionately against it until I decided to watch Re-Animator as well. This is so far ahead of Nightmare on every level (except maybe for that premise because after all, Re-Animator is an old story). The acting, the effects, the story, all done with passion and talent. Not to mention the music. Genius idea speeding up Bernard Hermman's Psycho theme!

The other film that I haven't seen for a while and I put on my wishlist is Scream. I'll go and take it off...

[addicted2dvd]

being one of my all time favorites that I have watched countless times.. I will just say I disagree. 

[Najemikon]

 

[Touti]

Please allow me to go for a minute.  Pete, you've got the ugliest avatar I've ever seen..........well done  , you do live up to your reputation as DVDCOL's RHE (Resident Horror Expert). 

Avatar point awarded !

[addicted2dvd]

LOL... Thanks Touti... Regan (The Exorcist) is such a sweet kid isn't she? 

[VibroCount]

Wes Craven...

I remember seeing him in, and working on, a few hardcore porn films. He was art director/designer for a number of films, and he appeared in (among others) "It Happened in Hollywood" as a new version of a bidet. (He also was listed as an editor of that film.)

Ah, misspent youth...
 

[Touti]

Ah, misspent youth...
 

Nostalgia point awarded.


P.S:  I won't fall again for the "Big Whining Baby" one.

[Achim]

I will agree with Pete here. While I can understand that Last House on the Left leaves peopel disgusted about what they just saw, Nightmare on Elm Street (mainly Parts 1 & 7) are fun films with an interesting concept. For the time when they were made they were great horror flicks.

Scream is a different matter again; I like the way he makes fun of horror movies with this, but it can't be everyone's cup of tea.

[addicted2dvd]

I must say... I agree on all counts with Achim. Don't even get me started on Last House on the Left. I watched that for the very first time every earlier this year when I had a Wes Craven Marathon.

[Jimmy]

I decided tonight that Wes Craven is an overrated hack. I just wanted to say it out loud. Oops! Sorry. Forgot the "IMO"...

If you have not see it already watch The hills have eyes (1977) this is one of his good movie. Just forget the Scream stuff who are really lame.

Bye the way "Last house on the left" is a great movie, but everyone had different taste.

[Najemikon]

It's on. 

I have no problem with the concept, or it being a fun film. I just can't abide laziness and there is such a ridiculous moment near the end and ruined the whole damn thing for me:

(click to show/hide)

Nancy is trapped inside the house because her mum has barricaded it. She decides that she is going to fall asleep and bring the fight to Freddy, dragging him into reality. Across the road, Freddy gets rid of her boyfriend (amazing scene!) and the police arrive, including her dad. She still intends to go ahead with the plan and calls her dad, telling him to come across the road in exactly twenty minutes and that she plans to go to sleep immediately. Well, in those 20 minutes before "immediately" falling asleep, she rigs several complicated booby traps and has a cosy mummy/daughter chat. Amazing!

 

Apart from that, it's at least a decent enough film. The ending was a bit weak, but doesn't matter. It's funny and gory, so it does the job. On the other hand, obviously I just don't get Last House on the Left; I think it's so badly made and I don't see an ounce of talent or promise in the entire thing. In fact, it pre-dates "torture porn" by some margin, yet Hostel is like Casablanca in comparison! The latter film has a story to speak of at least...

Now I really enjoyed the remake of The Hills Have Eyes and I will watch the original one day. I suspect from comments in various reviews that I will prefer the slick remake. Especially as Craven is a hack... 

[Achim]

Now I really enjoyed the remake of The Hills Have Eyes and I will watch the original one day. I suspect from comments in various reviews that I will prefer the slick remake. Especially as Craven is a hack... 

Interested to hear your comments after you saw the original... (I actually prefer some parts of the original, yet other parts of the remake; in the 70s gore was different than it is today, you'll have to allow for that difference.)

[Najemikon]

I've always been a bit frustrated by horror. They were more disturbing in the 1970s, but often too abstract for my taste. There are a couple of scenes in Texas Chainsaw Massacre that really annoy me, but the overall thing is brilliant. Meanwhile they can be more slick and effective these days, but they've lost the bite. Can't win!

Speaking of modern horror, I notice on your banner you've seen Hostel 2. What did you think? And Le Samourai. I loved that film, and here was me thinking I hated French film... 

[lovemunkey187]

This was on $ky the other weekend and was quite interesting.

If you like watching the behind the scene on your little silver discs from heaven then you may like this.

[Achim]

Speaking of modern horror, I notice on your banner you've seen Hostel 2. What did you think? And Le Samourai. I loved that film, and here was me thinking I hated French film... 

I originally didn't want to buy Hostel Part II, thinking it would be just the same as the first one and less. Then I read a favorable review at DVD Talk which I now agree with. What makes the sequel stand on its own is the fact that this time they follow the victim group as well as showing more of the organization and also a group of "customers". That sure gave the whole thing more range. As before, the gore is more concentrated near the end, but KNB really went all out again; watched it with my "doctor friend" (a surgeon) who repeatedly pointed out how real it all looked!

Agree on Le Samuraï. Excellent film. Have to look at more films by Melville, I guess. Any recommendations?