Pulse (2001)

Megan, Mark and I watched Pulse (回路, Kairo), a Japanese technology horror film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This movie had some truly freaky/creepy scenes, but the plot felt all over the place... maybe something was lost in translation. Enjoyed watching it though. And it's interesting to think of this film coming out in 2001 -- idk about yall, but that was pretty much the start of my personal computing, the days of AIM, etc.... so a movie about the horrors of the internet was ahead of the curve, and probably pretty electrifying at that time.

Tusk (2014)

Terra and I watched Tusk (2014), which was a trip. Disgusting, but darkly humorous... although for me the "ick" factor was distracting haha. As Terra said, "I definitely don't regret watching it but I also can't think of anyone I would recommend it to off the top of my head." 🤣🤣 

There was also a lot of misogyny which didn't seem to drive the plot at all, it was just uncomfortable.

Featuring the Sixth Sense kid (Haley Joel Osmont), and randomly, Johnny Depp.

Definitely the weirdest Kevin Smith film (I've seen, anyway). 

eXistenZ (1999)

Mark and I watched eXistenZ (1999) tonight, and it was awesome! A mindfuck, as one would expect from Cronenberg. Highly recommended for all cyberpunk fans... or anyone interested in the precursor to Inception (2010). 

The Quiet Family (1998)

Kim Jee-woon's directorial debut, The Quiet Family (1998), was awesome! Sarah and I recently watched his film A Tale of Two Sisters (2006), and I liked this much more. What can I say, I'm a sucker for dark comedy! It has a great cast, starring heartthrob Song Kang-ho (of Snowpiercer and Parasite), before he became famous, Na Moon-hee (of My Lovely Sam-Soon), and Choi Min-sik (of Oldboy, etc.), among others. Almost like a National Lampoon film, except if the hijinks always ended in dead bodies. 🤣

You're Next (2011)

Nicole and I watched You're Next (2011), which was a (bloody, murderous) romp! Not the most inventive plot, but redeemed by good pacing, zany, dark, deadpan humor, and a badass female lead. This one had some similar vibes to Ready or Not (2019).

Near Dark (1987)

I've tried to watch Near Dark (1987) a bunch of times and this is the first time I've actually watched all the way through. I really want to like this one, because it's a classic 80s vampire flick, and I can see why people would enjoy it, but I just don't like the (dirty, crust punk/neo-western) vibe. 🤷‍♀️

Henry: A Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Henry: A Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) is a strange film, wherein the titular serial killer is the protagonist. I put off watching this film for a long time, because I don't like violence or gore in films. However, unlike in most slashers, you mostly don't see Henry killing his victims. Henry (Michael Rooker) goes about his daily activities, and the mutilated corpses of women surface in his wake. The murders, if not exactly incidental to his life, seem as natural as any other part of his routine. However, there were some graphic and deeply disturbing scenes in the movie. Rooker is almost TOO convincing as a cold-blooded, murderous thug. I don't know if I can really "recommend" this movie, but it was certainly effective for what it was -- a more realistic, less romanticized view of violence. It's based on a true story, too, of Henry Lee Lucas.