Ultra Hard Completed — Horizon Zero Dawn
Completed Ultra Hard mode in Horizon Zero Dawn
Category: Journal
Thoughts on The people under the stairs
I finally faced my childhood trauma by watching The people under the stairs in full. I saw sections of it as a child and remember only the image of children running from something in the wall cavities of a old creepy house.
It was an absolute surprise and joy to see Everett McGill and Wendy Robie as an on-screen couple again after their iconic partnership in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks as Ed and Nadine Hurley.
Credited as simply ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ respectively, the pair live in a large fortified house just outside of a Los Angeles Ghetto. That Ghetto is pretty much owned in full by the couple — land and property bought and passed on through the years to subsequent generations of the family.
The couple are Land lords to many in the neighbourhood, but specifically a family struggling to pay the bills due to abject poverty and family illness. The story kicks off when the poor family’s young son, nicknamed ‘Fool’, is used by a criminal friend of the family to help break into the rich couple’s house. They do this to try and find a rumoured collection of gold coins that have been hoarded there.
What follows is them all trapped in the house with no escape, running and hiding from the sadistic couple armed to the teeth and commanding a large, vicious dog. Not only that, but they must also content with the people under the stairs.
The things I found most scary this time around were not necessarily the chases through the walls or the basement encounters, although they were often tense. What I found myself finding most horrific was how these crazed parents treated their daughter Alice.
Alice lives under a constant cloud of threatened, and often enacted, abuse. Later we even see her slammed on to the floor to clean the blood-drenched wooden flooring of the house. And then soon after being force-cleaned by her mother in a visibly-scolding deep bath of water.
How this film went from comedic moments of joy to horrific moments of torture and mutilation was all but expertly done. Despite having so much to offer in terms of tone, it never felt jarring. It was a roller coaster that just kept throwing in loop-da-loops and sharp left turns.
Mcgill and Robie were incredible as the crazed couple hunting for the blood of the intruders whilst trying to keep their current captives under control. And then there is the illusive thing living in their walls.
Oh, and their dog is bloody terrifying.
I loved them both in Twin Peaks. The people under the stairs made me love them even more.
Equally as impressive was the actor playing Fool — Brandon Adams. He had great charisma on screen and his character really kicked ass and held his own against the lunatics.
Fool would often fight back against his pursuers and never made any dumb decisions to merely serve the plot.
He sure is one smart cookie.
I’m actually proud of myself for clocking the satirical take on the nature of capitalism throughout the film too. Maybe all of this writing and thinking a bit more about the films I watch is having an affect on me?
I enjoyed this film so much, and for many different reasons. I really can’t recommend it enough.
Watching The people under the stairs
An image from an old film haunted me for some years in my childhood. Only recently did I discover somehow, without watching it, that the image was from The people under the stairs.
Now I’m going back in to a film I may have seen as a child and possibly blocked out, out of trauma.
Afterward
This film was amazing. I need to write up some thoughts on it soon.
Thoughts on Friday the 13th part 2
Apart from being an entertaining and very 80’s killing spree around the cursed area surrounding Camp Crystal Lake, I thought this was a really well made, and clever horror film.
The second film in the Friday the 13th series and first appearance of Jason.
I absolutely loved this film.
I found myself constantly second guessing what was going to happen next.
Apart from being an entertaining and very 80’s killing spree around the cursed area surrounding Camp Crystal Lake, I thought this was a really well made, and clever horror film.
The opening scene was, for the lack of a better word, perfect. The sustained tension through the entire five to ten minute opening with the first film’s lone survivor almost gave me a stomach muscle ache i think.
The camera direction was incredible in pointing my attention to places I was certain someone would appear from. Even the shower room POV shot — done Psycho style — ending in the lady all but winking to the camera to say to the audience “I know what you were thinking”, had me smiling to myself.
Smiling and nerve-wracked all the way to the opening scene’s superb climax.
One of the best opening scenes in a horror film I can remember seeing.
The rest of the film was great from beginning to end too, with some great moments of tension throughout.
There was even one particular death that I found myself second guessing again too. I wont say which, but after what I’d consider clever uses of misdirection up until now, I found myself assuming that a certain scene was going to be more drawn out and elaborate than it was.
When in fact it couldn’t have been more straight forward and to the point. #BladeToTheFace
As far as the killings go, this wasn’t as gory as I was expecting it to be. I think that maybe as this series is one of the bedrocks of slasher films, it has a level of infamy that can easily hype it up in the minds of those that haven’t yet seen it. Despite my saying that, I think that the level of violence in general will keep any horror fan salivating.
One thing that did surprise me was that Jason felt much more human than I was expecting. In all of the references I had seen to him up till now, he is portrayed almost like a machine that can not be killed. Although saying that, there was an awesome scene as he is revealed in full for the first time — where he stands up from under a cover, towering over his next victim.
A really imposing figure and one of my favourite scenes of the film.
His ability to get back up after certain injuries seemed almost plausible here too. However, I am fully expecting his recoveries to get less and less plausible as I delve deeper into this series.
I had to smile and grimace at times when either a couple would have sex or someone would say “I’ll be right back” — I was immediately reminded of a key scene from Wes Craven’s Scream, where a horror film nerd would describe these dangers and things to not do in a horror film. It seems that he was right.
I had already enjoyed the first Friday the 13th film some time ago. And now that I have enjoyed this one even more, I am really looking forward to getting further into Jason’s world.
Despite my expecting them to start degrading with originality over time, from what I’ve heard at least, I am really excited to be going on the ride for the first time.
Watching Friday the 13th part 2
Loved the first film but have never got round to watching the others. It’s about time I remedied that.
Watching Suspiria 2018 remake
I am in love with the original Suspiria. Hoping for a different take in the remake.
31 Films of Halloween 2020
I think I’m going to try and do the 31 days of Halloween by watching 1 new horror film each day in October. (Or just 31 new horror films by the month’s end is more likely for my timetable)
I may alter the order as I go.
- 1 — Suspiria (2018 remake) — watched 1st October
- 2 — Friday the 13th part 2 — watched 5th October
- 3 — The People under the Stairs — watched 6th October
- 4 — Friday the 13th part 3
- 5 — Night of the Living Dead
- 6 — Jacob’s Ladder
- 7 — Hereditary
- 8 — The Blair Witch Project
- 9 — Sisters
- 10 — Blood and Black Lace
- 11 — Bay of Blood
- 12 — Don’t torture a duckling
- 13 — Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key
- 14 — What Have You Done to Solange?
- 15 — The Burning
- 16 — Inferno
- 17 — I Trapped the Devil
- 18 — Phantasm
- 19 — The Brood
- 20 — Carnival of Souls
- 21 — The Tenant
- 22 — An American Werewolf in London
- 23 — The Fall of the House of Usher
- 24 — The Wicker Man
- 25 — Re-animator
- 26 — Train to Busan
- 27 — Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- 28 — Mandy
- 29 — Repulsion
- 30 — Drag me to Hell
- 31 — Midsommer
Other Possibles:
- Raw
Watching Ratched S01E01 — Pilot
Start of the Day’s playlist for 28th September 2020
Start of the Day’s playlist for 28th September 2020.
The New York Ripper — My Thoughts
The New York Ripper has been one of the most challenging films I’ve watched in recent times. It’s violence and sexuality are off the charts.
The New York Ripper has been one of the most challenging films I’ve watched in recent times. It’s violence and sexuality are off the charts — all in all a cracking Giallo thriller.
New York is being terrorised by a serial killer who seems hell-bent on cutting up young women, seemingly for some kind of sadistic sexual pleasure. And these acts of violence are put front and centre in your face. Every. Single. Time.
The opening credits consisted only of the still image of the dog with the severed hand in his mouth that he’s just found in a bush. With this and the funky 70s television flavour soundtrack, it felt almost like a black comedy of sorts.
I don’t know why I kept getting the vibes of a black comedy in this film. Perhaps it is the super over-the-top depictions of killing and the fact that the killer pretended to be a duck whilst murdering people.
Quack quack quack
Ducks… Yer… So, the killer begins quacking like a duck as they begin violently cutting open their victims. Stay with me though. At first it was kind of funny and a complete juxtaposition to what was going on on-screen.
Quack quack…
CUT — SLICE
Quack quack quack…
HACK — CHOP
But as the film went on, that sound became bloody terrifying to me. Like a razor sharp shriek cutting straight into my brain. Walking down the canal feeding the ducks with my lady will never be the same again…
I liked how there is actually a reason for that duck sound too (no — the killer is not a duck) and it is actually more of a grounded reason than I was thinking it would be.
And when it comes to the identity of the killer, I found myself guessing right up until the point at which one of the characters clocked it. Yes I am a bit slow, but I think that Fulci did a great job at dropping red herrings here and there.
Beauty in the killing
Only after I wrote that heading did I realise how mental it sounds. Oh well, it’s staying. haha.
I don’t often find any sort of pleasure out of people being killed in films — unless they have it coming of course — but I can appreciate a really stunning piece of cinematography from the violence. And this film has those throughout — and not always in relation to a death scene.
Despite many of the scenes being so graphic — in both sex and violence — the director, Lucio Fulci, has created some incredible-looking sequences throughout his film, that just beg to be looked at again and again.
The way in which he uses colour alone is incredible — most notably a scene with live sex performer Eva, as she is returning to her dressing room.
I loved this section so much that I have included five none-spoiler screenshots of it here:
Eva’s scene reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Specifically a hotel room scene in which a character is bathed in the neon green light of the hotel sign outside the window. This isn’t the first time I am reminded of Hitchcock’s work in a Giallo film either.
Some of the scenes in New York Ripper reminded me heavily of a more modern film I’ve seen too — The Neon Demon. No doubt the director of that film, Nicolas Winding Refn, took heavy inspiration from the Giallo genre — something I am only just uncovering for myself in my new obsession.
This scene from Fay’s train ride had some great set pieces in it too. The train itself and shortly after, the cinema:
Conclusion
If you are feint of heart please do not watch The New York Ripper. It uses extreme close-ups of killings like my partner uses Ketchup: in large doses.
However, if you dig over-the-top violent scenes with elements of beauty in films, then this could be right up your street.
Despite my constant mention of violence and sex in this film, it does have a good story. A story quite typical in the world of slasher / giallo films I think: detective tries to track down violent serial killer as more killings unfold in more beautiful and dramatic ways.
And although it shares so many Giallo characteristics, it is uniquely memorable in so many ways.
No better feeling than to create
There is no better feeling than that of creating. Yes, that is a super vague statement but I wanted to write something — anything — and this post is it.
I have spent too much time tonight just clicking around reading articles and watching videos around the world pandemic and the complete fucking cretins governing the people through it.
As breaks from the sadistic act of reading about this country’s disease* and Covid-19, I have been continuing my reading of Stephen King’s book Duma Key. I’m really enjoying it.
For some reason the notion of the feeling of creation being one of the best struck me. Whether the creation of an original work, or the the creation of connections with others. Or the creation of pictures in your mind’s eye from reading great works of fiction.
Bit of a short random ramble, this one, but there you have it.
*The Conservative Party
Watching The New York Ripper
Thoughts on Phenomena
Dario Argento’s Phenomena is yet another example of a masterclass in horror cinema.
The next film in my Giallo journey was Dario Argento’s Phenomena — arguably one of his best. Although, to be fair, I haven’t seen a bad Argento film yet.
From it’s wide open start amongst the Swiss countryside — where a student girl misses her bus — to the claustrophopic, insane ending, this film had me hooked and anxious throughout.
I thought that with Jennifer Connelly as the main star, along side Donald Pleasence, I would feel relatively safer than I have with previous GIallo films. I knew her mainly for the film she did the year following Phenomena: The Labyrinth. But how wrong I was.
Phenomena — synopsis
The film is about a young girl, Jennifer, who is sent to a Swiss girls school by her father. She already knew that she had an affinity with insects, but it is during her short stay at this school where her affinity grows stronger and stronger.
In the area there is a serial killer who seems to be picking off the girls from the school. And after Jennifer witnesses something she shouldn’t have whilst sleep walking, she fears that she is next.
In her travels she meets a local scientist — one who specialises in insects (very apt) — who she teams up with to try and track down this killer on the loose.
The Soundtrack
Phenomena’s soundtrack was partly done by Goblin, as with other films of Argentos’. And it is as awesome as you can imagine, (if you’ve seen films like Deep Red or Suspiria before). If you haven’t, then you are in for a real treat in experimental music.
Joining Goblin, and some others, on this kick-ass soundtrack, is none other than Iron Maiden. Namely the song “Flash of the Blade” from their 1984 album “Powerslave”. One of my favourite Iron Maiden albums, and the first album of theirs that I bought coincidentally.
The soundtrack does wonders for this film’s pacing. At one point I was anxious and nervous following these characters. But then when that crazy opening to “Flash of the Blade” came on, a huge smile took over my face. I found myself simultaneously foot-tapping to a great song i’d forgotten about, and worried for a woman’s life as she ran from a merciless killer.
Reminiscent of Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock is a huge influence on so many film makers, especially the ones worth their salt in my opinion. Some directors make this more obvious than others in some of their films (and I don’t mean that negatively). One good example that springs to mind is the look and feel of Martin Scorsese’s Cape Fear. I remember feeling that if Hitchcock was alive and made that film, it would be very similar aesthetically*. This was aided in no small way by employing Hitchcocks long-standing music maestro Bernard Herrmann.
*Disclaimer: I’m not a film student so am probably talking absolute crap 😀
Anyway, there is a scene in Phenomena where Jennifer is trying to track down the killers hideout using a very unconventional method — I’ll let you discover the method. But method aside, the entire bus ride she takes from the town centre out to the rolling swiss countryside hills was a complete callback for me to Torn Curtain — Hitchcock’s lesser-known, but no less incredible, political thriller film from 1966.
In Summary
This feels like the most accessible of Argento’s films I’ve watched up till this point. I mean, they have all been on Amazon Prime, but due to the use of more western actors who I’d known from previous films, this film felt that bit more familiar to me. Of course this is only from my own perspective. Also I often prefer not knowing any actors in these Giallo films — it somehow makes them feel more dangerous.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Phenomena for every single moment of its almost-two-hour run time. One thing I’m noticing from Argento is that I am finding myself remembering so much from his films — due to so many of his scenes feeling so iconic.
The violent pane-smashing opening, the unconventional vat of… stuff, and of course that scene with the chimpanzee (spoiler: the chimpanzee survives this crazy story**).
**If I thought a Chimpanzee was going to be killed I probably wouldn’t watch it, so wanted to put your mind at ease there. 🙂
Some stills from Phenomena
When the random music mix gives you a row of killer songs. 🤘
Watching Phenomena
Initial thoughts
What a fucking incredible film. From start to finish I was gripped. Jennifer Connelly is great; Dario Argento is at the top of his game; and Donald Pleasance was a joy to watch as always.
The film was violent, creative and awe-inspiring in equal measure.
And that ending. That vile ending that just kept me second guessing myself until the credits rolled.
Thank you once again, Argento you crazy beautiful film maker.
Welcome to Hanwell — first impressions
I picked up Welcome to Hanwell for a few quid in a recent PlayStation Store sale. On first playing it has a good creep factor. Waking up in a morgue and taking your first steps in the dark, dank blood-splattered underground is a great introduction to any horror game.
The opening had me walking through a couple of corridors into the adjoining rooms and office, as it taught me the basic game controls and mechanics. One of these mechanics was looking behind you as you run — this can only mean bad things ahead.
I love the atmosphere of the game so far — despite having been unable to escape this basement area for about 45 minutes or so. The idea of an open-world horror game does tickle my fancy somewhat, so I really hope I can get past this first challenge.
And no — I’m not going to spoil what that challenge is. 😀
One draw back for me
I have to mention one thing that has me a bit miffed. I can not find any option to invert the Y axis. 🙁 . This may seem like a petty thing, but I find it super jaring to play any game without the inverted Y axis. I think this can only be due to the many many hours I spent playing Ace Combat 2 on the PlayStation as a youth.
I have tweeted the developers in the hope that it could perhaps get added in an update. Not sure if this will happen, but if you don’t ask you don’t get.