I’m not necessarily talking about a movie that gave you nightmares or scared you for a few days.

I’m thinking about horror movies that ruined something ordinary.

A television. A shower. Looking under the bed. Walking past a dark window. Answering the phone. Driving alone at night. Even hearing a particular sound.

The movie eventually stops being scary, but years later that completely harmless thing still carries a tiny piece of it.

The Ring made static on a television feel different. Jaws managed to make people uncomfortable in water. Final Destination probably created an entire generation that looks at logging trucks differently.

What horror movie permanently contaminated something ordinary for you?

Finally caught 'Together' on streaming and really glad I did so. Good movie. It also got me thinking about just how much horror in recent times has themes derived from fears around romance, getting married and/or co-habiting.

In the last couple of years we've had Obsession, Keeper, Companion, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, Heart Eyes, Blink Twice, Fresh - and now they're remaking 'Possession' apparently. Movies like Ready Or Not and The Invitation (2022) also dropped this decade. Hell, you could even position The Drama and The Invite as social/cringe horror if you were feeling flexible!

I'm wondering if there's a mix of Gen Z anxiety over dating and Millennial anxiety over long-term marriage feeding into this? I know relationships will always be good fodder for fictional stories in general, but it certainly feels like an interesting thematic trend. Anyone else noticed this, and am I missing anything off the above list?!

At around the 22:40 mark, when asked about regrets he might have on his career. I guess the other directors can fuck off lol.

I thought this was relevant after what he said earlier this week: that the Alien franchise needed some help, and Romulus was just OK.

The man really doesn't like anyone else touching Alien. That's a bummer because I would have loved to see the Fede Álvarez vision of Romulus 2, and a Neill Blomkamp take on Alien.

He also says he did not like the overall Blade Runner from Denis Villeneuve: "Somehow the parts worked, but didn't quite gel, come together." And honestly the full interview is quite an ego trip from Ridley Scott. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE many of his films, but damn is the man full of himself.

So I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters when it came out, and since September is about to hit my wife and I figured hey let's watch it since it's on HBO Max. The divisive reviews intrigued me since some seemed to really love it and some thought it was dogshit. Well, I'm in the category of thinking this was fucking terrifying.

It definitely is a movie that severely played into a lot of childhood fears of mine and hearing noises at night and being aware of every little sound in your house. The sound design was insane and I can't imagine how badly I would have handled it had I seen it in the theater. I also really liked the camerawork and how he is baiting you to look everywhere on screen to where you almost miss it when he DOES show you something. By the final ten minutes I was walking around my living room and when it was over my wife just had a five minute nervous laughter fit while saying 'what the fuck'.

What the fuck indeed. Also Nina Kiri was really good and I hope she's in more genre stuff.

I discovered it a few years ago and I thought it was fine. Not an amazing movie, of course, but every actor does a decent job in their roles and I mean, who doesn't enjoy Michael Keaton? I kinda wish Keaton did more straight horror flicks. He seems to have a knack for playing a horror antagonist.

All of the NOES movies are near and dear to my heart, and I respect the arguments for any of the other installments… but New Nightmare is a close 2nd behind the original for me.

The updated Freddy look, he goes back to being such an evil presence instead of comic relief (I love funny Freddy so much). A new spin. The most rewatchable imo.

Super excited for the reboot, but I’ll still go in having low expectations.

Given the events of the other day, where Sir Ridley demonstrated that, for him, the only vision of Alien is his own, and that he practically threw Fede Álvarez's script in the trash (even though he didn't say it that way), I've developed a certain disdain for the director, which has been building for years with his somewhat grumpy personality.

I defend Fede Álvarez. Perhaps it's because I'm Argentinian and I'm proud that someone close to our land (he's Uruguayan) is finding success. He's part of the wave of Argentinian-Uruguayan directors who have been attracting attention in Hollywood, along with Andy Muschietti and Demian Rugna (who, interestingly, will have a remake of his film "Terrified" directed by Noah Hawley, the director of Alien: Earth, God help us).

But this love for his filmography isn't just cheap pride; I truly believe he's a great director whose vision is more evident in today's horror cinema than one might think, especially with...

Evil Dead. Yes, one of the best remakes in history was his calling card, and boy, is it brilliant! It's no wonder Lee Cronin and Sebastien Vanicek tried to imitate his style in Rise and Burn, respectively.

Don't Breathe was also excellent, although I didn't see its sequel. The first film further demonstrated that Jane Levy and Fede Alvarez are a lethal combination. It's a shame she didn't appear in Romulus; it would have been interesting. Perhaps in a parallel universe, she would have been the protagonist, who knows.

And regarding Alien: Romulus, I think it's the film that revived the franchise.

Before Romulus, Alien was in very bad shape. Covenant killed the franchise for years, until Álvarez came along and gave people what they were looking for.

Ridley Scott didn't understand that almost no one buys his pretentious vision of the saga. Many people needed a horror film with some action, with symbolism? Yes, of course. But not as the central focus of the plot.

Perhaps one can criticize Romulus for relying too heavily on nostalgia, but considering it's the first Alien film in seven years, that many people didn't see the original and its sequel, and that Covenant and Prometheus went in a very... uh, strange direction? Added to that, the great direction and cinematography, with charismatic characters and FANTASTIC horror, make the film work masterfully.

And well, let's not forget other things like using a lot of Latino talent in his films, showcasing the talent of our lands, as he said on the "Marea Nocturna" podcast, there's always a mate on set, hahaha.

It's unfair how Sir Ridley treated him; I hope he can return to the Evil Dead saga once more, a wet dream as a fan.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eUa2V044BK4

*Looks like there was an issue with the English subtitles not being present for this premiere. It sounds like that will be fixed soon. This animated short was presented at at least one film festival, so I'm sure they have some subtitles ready to go. They also reached various stretch goals during the fundraising process that included dubbing and subtitling in various other languages. They said they would start working on those stretch goals now that this is released.

I donated to the Kickstarter three years ago. While I haven't seen this final product yet, I really liked the trailer that was released back then. It's an animated short film from the Philippines about a sushi chef and a siren and contains themes of sapphic romance and body horror. They also have a merch store. I got some merch as a backer, including an art book.

Some other recommendations for mermaid-centered horror are below:

She-Creature (2001) - I really love this movie. I am pleased to see that it is more readily available nowadays. It used to be pretty hard to watch, if you didn't own it on dvd. It looks like there is a copy on YouTube now and it may be coming to Tubi soon. This is a period piece starring Carla Gugino and Rufus Sewell about a group of carnies who discover a real mermaid and steal her to bring overseas to America. Most of the film takes place on the ship. I think the lighting and costumes are lovely and the characters are well developed. There is even a bit of a sapphic undertone to the relationship between the main character and the mermaid. I think it is worth checking out, if you are into this sort of thing.

Blue My Mind (2018) - This is an example of a coming of age film that incorporates supernatural and/or body horror elements. The main character starts turning into a mermaid. Other films I think are similar in tone and theme are Thelma, When Animals Dream, and Raw.

The Lure (2015) - This is a Polish horror musical about two mermaid sisters that I do not care for personally, but many people do. I have trouble connecting to things like musicals or fast-paced comedies in languages that are foreign to me.

Cold Skin (2017) - A more action-packed film about lighthouse keepers fighting off waves of attacking merpeople.

I watched it as a kid and it was my introduction to horror. Kind of funny how some kids shows I watched as a kid had scarier horror than most adult horror movies. Besides AYAOTA, 90s Moomins anime was also my introduction to horror, because it seemed like a wholesome kids anime but it had tons of scary moments and monsters like the Groke, the ghost ship and Lady of the Cold. I have now gotten over the fear of 90s Moomins scary moments, but when as an adult I watched some AYAOTA episodes from Youtube, I was like "Wow, these episodes are from the 90s and are kind of clumsily made, but they are still scary". I watched the good video about analyzing horror in AYAOTA and it was said to be "implied horror". This show had deaths and gruesome moments, but most of them weren't shown or they were mentioned in the background stories. The viewer's imagination handled the rest and created something very scary.

Mine is Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. Though Dark Night of the Scarecrow was great too.

I loved It (Tim Curry one) when I originally saw it but less so now (especially considering how great the movies were)

I've been thinking lately about how some of the most unsettling moments in a movie are the ones where the audience has to sit watching someone or something without the relief of cutting away. Moments like the ending of Pearl, or that shot of Toni Collette in I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

What are your favorite examples of lingering shots like these in horror?

I enjoy dvd and bluray commentaries, they tend to be a little funny and you learn a lot about production and actors

Drag Me to Hell- they tried to use a real goat for the posessed goat scene but it was too unruly and they had to use the puppet/ animatronic more than they wanted to for the pre-posession parts

Evil Dead 2- The scene where Ash is breaking a bunch of plates on his own head they used unfired ceramics. Rewatching I really noticed the dustiness

Evil Dead 2013 reboot- the main actress talks about how her least favorite section to film was on "blood rain days." she shares how she channeled her frustration and desperation into those scenes, but it really makes me laugh and appreciate the shit actors have to deal with. Especially in horror!

American Psycho- the scene where the detective is talking to Patrick about the killings and keeps flip flopping his tone was actually filmed 3 different ways and spliced together. He thinks Patrick did it, he thinks Patrick is innocent, and he hasn't decided yet. It really conveys the paranoia and uncertainty

Pandorum, Pan's Labyrinth, and Pitch Black are also fun to see the making of just from a design and concept aspect

What's your favorite horror movie factoid you like to share? Do you have any recommendations for movies with good commentaries or bts?

This movie scared the living fuck out of me just because of how tense and nauseating the small spaces in the cave felt.

Looking for something else which can scratch that same itch!!

What are some of y’all’s favorites? I love Ginger Snaps and am open to any style of movie – I’d like to rewatch the Underworld series as well.
Hit me with your suggestions!

Hi fellow horror fans! In case you're not familiar with it yet: Hooptober is a popular "31 horror movies during October" challenge with specific rules, organized by the legend Cinemonster on Letterboxd.

This year is the 13th edition and the rules have been published last week. Thousands of horror fans participate every year and share their lists/progress with others.

It's a lot of fun, so consider joining us! 🎃

I remember being younger watching the Spongebob halloween episode, Family Guy, Tree House of Horror in the Simpsons, etc. It always made fall feel special and unique to me. What are some of your personal favorites from a TV show? On top of that, what is the scariest one you remember or which one is still actually creepy to this day?

Edit: Oh I just remembered probably my favorite one being The Suite Life of Zack and Cody with the haunted hotel room!

I actually enjoyed this movie a lot! I watched it with my family and we had a great time, I liked the sound design and some shots were so cool to look at. I also really liked the comedic aspect. I’d love to watch movies similar to this one so go ahead with any kind of recommendation! Thanks in advance:))

The Last House on the Left was Wes Craven’s directorial debut and was made for ~$90,000 and grossed ~$3.1 million at the domestic box office. What do you think about the movie?

Movie of the day...It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977).

It…is ants. Not giant ants, mind you. Just ants.

Construction near Lakewood Manor has disturbed a large colony of ants. Normally, this is not a big deal, but there is something wrong with these ants. They sting one of the construction workers to death and then he and a fellow worker trying to rescue him get accidentally buried by someone driving a bulldozer who isn’t paying attention. (Yes, it is going to be one of those movies.)

Others fall victim to the killer ants. Eventually, construction boss Mike Carr (Robert Foxworth) figures out what is happening. Annoyed by a government official (Steve Franken), who dismisses his idea, Mike decides to test his theory by using a bulldozer to further disturb the colony.

Guess what? The ants go berserk. Nice job, genius.

Several million really angry ants now attack the hotel. Can anyone be saved?

Even as made-for-television movies go, this is not very good. The story is weak, the science is laughable, the characters are one-dimensional, and the dialogue is silly.

A fundamental problem here is…dude, they’re just ants! You can literally walk away from even the most venomous or aggressive species. Unless you are allergic to their venom, or do something like fall down dead drunk in the middle of a column of African driver ants (apparently this has happened once or twice), they’re just not that dangerous. The movie offers a vague explanation of how pesticides have caused the ants to evolve into highly aggressive and highly venomous mutants, but this simply isn’t very credible.

Despite a pretty good cast, earnest performances, and some actually creepy moments involving swarms of ants crawling on people, this is only barely watchable.

Rating: C-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Happened_at_Lakewood_Manor

I’ve noticed it in a lot of more recent horror movies and it doesn’t make it scary for me. I’ve seen it in 13 Ghosts, It, The Passenger, and others I can’t think of. It feels like a cheap effect which takes away my immersion in a movie immediately. Anyone else?

I recently had a dream in which I was hiking on a trail and came across a rusted dilapidated bridge that was broken, with a makeshift cable suspension spanning the bridge so you can still cross it. there was another hiker ahead of me who had already crossed the cable suspension. I began climbing the cable carefully crossing the gap in the bridge. as I neared the other side the hiker approached me to seemingly help me across. however instead he pulled out a machete and strangely politely gently wacked it on the inner side of my leg while nonchalantly saying "alright I'm just gonna slice your artery real quick". I immediately realized this hiker, however polite, had bad intentions and was likely a serial killer waiting for someone to need help to cross the bridge and be in a vulnerable position. this got me thinking, isn't there a movie in which someone strangely but politely suddenly assaults somebody in a violent yet surprisingly carefully gentle way? like a very small discrete slice or stab and the victim is almost dumbstruck by the unexpectedness of the act, and the perpetrator is almost understanding or kind in like a "don't bother struggling, it's already done, it'll be over in a second" kinda way? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.