Essential The Official Coli Horror Film Thread: Discussion, Recommendations And Murder.
- Thread starter Dominic Brehetto
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Superstar
So after thoroughly enjoying the audio version of Clive Barker's the Hellbound Heart (aka the inspiration for Hellraiser); I decided that it'd be cool prep for the new Candyman movie to grab the audiobook Books of Blood volume 5 which has the short story that inspired the original movie.
Just thing's first, comparing Hellbound Heart to Hellraiser, I think the movie captures the written version near perfectly. It's almost seamless. I don't think you necessarily need both unless you're a big fan or just really want to see some amazing prose for descriptions. From tone to deaths, the movie really nails the story. The story that inspired Candyman, "Forbidden", has some major differences. The gaps are big enough for me to employ a spoiler and I think they shift some of the undertones of the story along the way...
Okay, so quick thoughts. Clive Barker's prose are really, really strong. His imagery is incredible and that's why we see plenty of one to one comparisons from his novels to the film versions. That said, I'm very happy with the changes that the filmmakers made to the initial short story. It kept the motif of an outsider entering a community more to gawk and tell stories about them than to actually help it. It built up the immortalization of people through gossip and word-of-mouth. But it avoided vilifying members of the community in a manner that I think Barker's short story does (although it's debatable because of Candyman's hypnotic power). I think Barker's prose do a great job at capturing code switching and the removed nature of academic discussions versus realities on the ground (I genuinely got a vibe about online only activists versus real-world organizers on the left from this ish).
More importantly though, the movie centered Candyman from the jump. His appearance is super late in the short story and that wouldn't have worked for the movie imo. This is a rare occasion where I'd send people to the film version first and then maybe throw in the story if they really liked the movie. I'd imagine the story is slow or uneventful for people that don't know to expect such a memorable character will appear later on. I'll throw this in also, the new movie includes an origin story with razors in candy that I don't recall from the original film...but that image is described in detail in the short story. So that's cool.
Anyway, just a bit of a dive into comparing the written version with the absolute classic of a horror movie as we get closer to the new one.
Just thing's first, comparing Hellbound Heart to Hellraiser, I think the movie captures the written version near perfectly. It's almost seamless. I don't think you necessarily need both unless you're a big fan or just really want to see some amazing prose for descriptions. From tone to deaths, the movie really nails the story. The story that inspired Candyman, "Forbidden", has some major differences. The gaps are big enough for me to employ a spoiler and I think they shift some of the undertones of the story along the way...
Smallish changes:
- Candyman isn't a known urban legend, there's no saying his name in the mirror and he doesn't appear or have a name until the end of the story.
- The research Helen does is focused on graffiti, the Candy Man head whose mouth is a doorway is described in the story, but the graffiti that she notices is a phrase that keeps showing up "sweets to the sweet."
- There is no best friend named Bernie, Anne-Marie and the baby are key figures though that bring Helen in.
- No harm to dogs in this version, Anne-Marie doesn't even have one. A dog does appear in the room with the Candyman graffiti briefly however.
The big shifts:
- Fam...the baby doesn't make it. Helen never even gets a chance to save it, instead she heads into the pyre to retrieve its remains as evidence which brings me to some even bigger plot differences.
- Here's a huge one, there's no possession or framing of Helen in this version of the story. She does talk to police, but she volunteers some information that implicates Anne-Marie's involvement.
Okay brace yourself because we're veering way off the plot of the movie now...
- That's right, Anne-Marie and the entire neighborhood are both aware of and covering for Candyman. Helen crawls into the pyre to prove as much but Candyman grabs and keeps her in there as it burns. This version of the story evokes more of a "The Wickerman but in the hood" connotation by the end.
- And Helen accepts her fate and embraces it because it will immortalize her as a local urban legend. Gossip becomes a key bit of this version and Candyman's seduction relates to making people legends in their own rights. Anne-Marie rides to the funeral for her baby in a "this is my moment" kinda thing.
- Candyman isn't a known urban legend, there's no saying his name in the mirror and he doesn't appear or have a name until the end of the story.
- The research Helen does is focused on graffiti, the Candy Man head whose mouth is a doorway is described in the story, but the graffiti that she notices is a phrase that keeps showing up "sweets to the sweet."
- There is no best friend named Bernie, Anne-Marie and the baby are key figures though that bring Helen in.
- No harm to dogs in this version, Anne-Marie doesn't even have one. A dog does appear in the room with the Candyman graffiti briefly however.
The big shifts:
- Fam...the baby doesn't make it. Helen never even gets a chance to save it, instead she heads into the pyre to retrieve its remains as evidence which brings me to some even bigger plot differences.
- Here's a huge one, there's no possession or framing of Helen in this version of the story. She does talk to police, but she volunteers some information that implicates Anne-Marie's involvement.
Okay brace yourself because we're veering way off the plot of the movie now...
- That's right, Anne-Marie and the entire neighborhood are both aware of and covering for Candyman. Helen crawls into the pyre to prove as much but Candyman grabs and keeps her in there as it burns. This version of the story evokes more of a "The Wickerman but in the hood" connotation by the end.
- And Helen accepts her fate and embraces it because it will immortalize her as a local urban legend. Gossip becomes a key bit of this version and Candyman's seduction relates to making people legends in their own rights. Anne-Marie rides to the funeral for her baby in a "this is my moment" kinda thing.
Okay, so quick thoughts. Clive Barker's prose are really, really strong. His imagery is incredible and that's why we see plenty of one to one comparisons from his novels to the film versions. That said, I'm very happy with the changes that the filmmakers made to the initial short story. It kept the motif of an outsider entering a community more to gawk and tell stories about them than to actually help it. It built up the immortalization of people through gossip and word-of-mouth. But it avoided vilifying members of the community in a manner that I think Barker's short story does (although it's debatable because of Candyman's hypnotic power). I think Barker's prose do a great job at capturing code switching and the removed nature of academic discussions versus realities on the ground (I genuinely got a vibe about online only activists versus real-world organizers on the left from this ish).
More importantly though, the movie centered Candyman from the jump. His appearance is super late in the short story and that wouldn't have worked for the movie imo. This is a rare occasion where I'd send people to the film version first and then maybe throw in the story if they really liked the movie. I'd imagine the story is slow or uneventful for people that don't know to expect such a memorable character will appear later on. I'll throw this in also, the new movie includes an origin story with razors in candy that I don't recall from the original film...but that image is described in detail in the short story. So that's cool.
Anyway, just a bit of a dive into comparing the written version with the absolute classic of a horror movie as we get closer to the new one.
darealvelle
Real Talk
Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the release of Halloween: H2O...what is everyone's thoughts on the movie?
On the positive side: Seeing Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode was great and once the shyt hit the fan and the encounters with Michael started the movie really picked up and had me engaged.
However, up to that point this movie was so boring. They needed to have more kills to liven up things because I think it took about 50 minutes of a 90 minute movie before anything worth a damn happened.
I hated Michael Myers in this too. The actor they chose was a bit too gangly in his body frame, the mask was too clean and the overall vibe of Michael in this wasn't hitting for me.
Also there was no good reason not to kill LL Cool J's character. His survival served no purpose in this movie unlike in Deep Blue Sea where it actually mattered for him to survive.
On the positive side: Seeing Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode was great and once the shyt hit the fan and the encounters with Michael started the movie really picked up and had me engaged.
However, up to that point this movie was so boring. They needed to have more kills to liven up things because I think it took about 50 minutes of a 90 minute movie before anything worth a damn happened.
I hated Michael Myers in this too. The actor they chose was a bit too gangly in his body frame, the mask was too clean and the overall vibe of Michael in this wasn't hitting for me.
Also there was no good reason not to kill LL Cool J's character. His survival served no purpose in this movie unlike in Deep Blue Sea where it actually mattered for him to survive.
darealvelle
Real Talk
Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the release of Halloween: H2O...what is everyone's thoughts on the movie?
On the positive side: Seeing Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode was great and once the shyt hit the fan and the encounters with Michael started the movie really picked up and had me engaged.
However, up to that point this movie was so boring. They needed to have more kills to liven up things because I think it took about 50 minutes of a 90 minute movie before anything worth a damn happened.
I hated Michael Myers in this too. The actor they chose was a bit too gangly in his body frame, the mask was too clean and the overall vibe of Michael in this wasn't hitting for me.
Also there was no good reason not to kill LL Cool J's character. His survival served no purpose in this movie unlike in Deep Blue Sea where it actually mattered for him to survive.
I have not seen this one in YEARS fully. Last time was like 2000.I remember liking it though.
darealvelle
Real Talk
Yeah. Thisnamericam horrors shyt aint it.
Boobi literally got up and strolled to the bedroom.
So its mee and my son in the living room.
I dont know why hes up.
But im im high and got lik3 4 boxes of peanut butter pop tarts.
Boobi literally got up and strolled to the bedroom.
So its mee and my son in the living room.
I dont know why hes up.
But im im high and got lik3 4 boxes of peanut butter pop tarts.
Well, lil kp already knows about Santa.
But this is kinda funny.
But this is kinda funny.
Hi everybody - did anybody miss me over here?? I needed time to myself.
What up @Jello Biafra - ready to apologize?? make it easy for yourself - nothing worse than a woman scorned and under appreciated, they say
What up @Jello Biafra - ready to apologize?? make it easy for yourself - nothing worse than a woman scorned and under appreciated, they say
Halloween Ends Theory: The Perfect Setting For The Final Chapter Halloween Ends Theory: The Perfect Setting For The Final Chapter
Halloween Ends looks to conclude the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers saga - at least for now - and there's one perfect location to set the bulk of it in. The Halloween franchise has now been active for over 40 years, and in that time it's carved out multiple distinct continuities that ignore the others. In the current Blumhouse continuity, none of the prior Halloween movies after John Carpenter's original actually took place, meaning the revelation that Michael and Laurie were siblings never occurred.
Click to start this article in
QUICK VIEW
Instead, Michael simply laid dormant in Smiths Grove, the mental hospital he was sent back to after his 1978 rampage through Haddonfield. In that time, Laurie never recovered from the trauma of that night, becoming a survivalist-type, and planning for what she believed to be Michael's eventual return. She was right, as Michael did go on another killing spree 40 years later, even if that didn't entirely make sense, considering he'd be nearing retirement age.
Halloween Ends looks to conclude the Laurie Strode/Michael Myers saga - at least for now - and there's one perfect location to set the bulk of it in. The Halloween franchise has now been active for over 40 years, and in that time it's carved out multiple distinct continuities that ignore the others. In the current Blumhouse continuity, none of the prior Halloween movies after John Carpenter's original actually took place, meaning the revelation that Michael and Laurie were siblings never occurred.
Click to start this article in
QUICK VIEW
Instead, Michael simply laid dormant in Smiths Grove, the mental hospital he was sent back to after his 1978 rampage through Haddonfield. In that time, Laurie never recovered from the trauma of that night, becoming a survivalist-type, and planning for what she believed to be Michael's eventual return. She was right, as Michael did go on another killing spree 40 years later, even if that didn't entirely make sense, considering he'd be nearing retirement age.
The Brutal Horror Movie That Has Netflix Fans Gripping Their Seats
These days, Netflix has mastered the art of keeping subscribers interested with new movies and series spanning across all genres. Particularly if you're a horror junkie looking for a pulse-racing film — in which case, there's a seemingly endless amount to choose from. The variety of both Netflix originals and films licensed from outside studios can be overwhelming for even a veteran horror film lover, in fact. And as the dog days of summer are here, fall is imminent which means all of us are basically obligated to watch at least a few bone-chilling films to celebrate the spooky season ... plus, nothing beats the August heat like a chill running down your spine.
Thankfully, Netflix recently unveiled a new horror movie called "Aftermath," that has fans gripping their seats (or couch cushions) in a panic.
"Aftermath" has been trending on the streaming service since it debuted on August 4, which is always a good sign. The movie has already caused quite the buzz on the internet, as well, with many praising its endless plot twists, brutal scenes, and lingering questions about what horrific moments, exactly, are really based on a true story.
Aftermath on Netflix is what nightmares are made of
Read More: The Brutal Horror Movie That Has Netflix Fans Gripping Their Seats
These days, Netflix has mastered the art of keeping subscribers interested with new movies and series spanning across all genres. Particularly if you're a horror junkie looking for a pulse-racing film — in which case, there's a seemingly endless amount to choose from. The variety of both Netflix originals and films licensed from outside studios can be overwhelming for even a veteran horror film lover, in fact. And as the dog days of summer are here, fall is imminent which means all of us are basically obligated to watch at least a few bone-chilling films to celebrate the spooky season ... plus, nothing beats the August heat like a chill running down your spine.
Thankfully, Netflix recently unveiled a new horror movie called "Aftermath," that has fans gripping their seats (or couch cushions) in a panic.
"Aftermath" has been trending on the streaming service since it debuted on August 4, which is always a good sign. The movie has already caused quite the buzz on the internet, as well, with many praising its endless plot twists, brutal scenes, and lingering questions about what horrific moments, exactly, are really based on a true story.
Aftermath on Netflix is what nightmares are made of
Read More: The Brutal Horror Movie That Has Netflix Fans Gripping Their Seats
This movie is boring as SHYT!!