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Made in in
[MOD]
Otiose in a Niche






Hyderabad, India

This was Mrs Kyoto recommendation - Cells at Work (Netflix)

The main characters are a red and white blood cell, and they're in love and together they fight crime. And viruses. And leukemia.




There's also a 2 season anime and 6 volume manga.

Worth a watch.

 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






So, a day late. But…

2025 Halloween Spooktacular begins. In which I watch a horror or Halloween themed movie every day. Doubling up today to catch up.

Will they be crap? Will they be classics? Will they be some dusty forgotten for a purpose slice of awfulness once believed gone from this world? You’ll have to wait and find out, as it’s not like I’ve made a list or owt. That’s effort. I will endeavour to remember how I’m watching it (beyond on my telly via the medium of my eyes).

Tonight’s Double Feature of Fear? From the DVD Shelf of Mild Trepidation, we have the 1988 remake of The Blob and 1974’s The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue

Check back later (or don’t) to see how I get on.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The Blob.

Now that is how you remake a B-Movie. Fantastic effects, but doesn’t pretend to be high brow. It takes what made the original a classic, and elevates it to something truly special.

The gore effective, but used quite sparingly so it never really loses its impact. Indeed, the Blob deals with its victims in a variety of ways. Lovely stuff!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue.

A superior example of Italian Zombie Flicks. Notably one with a clear, declared cause for the Undedening. It’s an experimental sonic radiation treatment for farmland, intended to kill parasites and insects in the soil.

Lovely slow staggering Zombies, and a cast that are game for the inherent silliness. Importantly, this has a superb atmosphere.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why Manchester? Probably so lazy comedy slags like myself can make lazy jokes about “and eventually all the shambolic, brain dead fiends are sent back to the grave, except for two that go on to offend music fans everywhere by becoming Oasis”.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2025/10/02 20:12:18


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Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






For the third day of the 2025 Halloween Spooktacular, it’s the aptly named Halloween III, Season of the Witch

The Halloween film series was originally intended as an annual anthology. But the wild success of the original Halloween saw it instead focus on Michael Myers.

So this, the intended second film was bumped back a year, became the third, and the only entry not to feature Michael Myers.

Therefore it stands as a right mis-shape. In itself it’s really quite enjoyable, but in another world probably should’ve been released independent of the Halloween series.

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Made in us
Hangin' with Gork & Mork






Hair (dir. Forman, 1979) A film adaptation of the 1967 Musical. It isn't awful but it feels disjointed, but that is because the play was a bunch of loosely connected song and dance vignettes that were all aimed at protesting repressive social norms of the time and the Vietnam war draft. When they made the movie the filmmakers grafted an artificial narrative on to it so had to come up with ungainly transitions and fantasy sequences. The war and the draft were also over so it doesn't really hit the same. You can definitely see how the play would have had a huge impact on the cultural zeitgeist, though it is admittedly now more of a time capsule, the film a bit less than the play as the play was of its time whereas the movie is a decade past it. The film also holds back on elements of the play, such as the nudity and drug use, so is a kind of "We've got Hair at home" vibe. The songs that are memorable are memorable for a reason, though I find recordings not from the play/movie to be the better versions such as The Fifth Dimension's Age of Aquarius, though that could be attributed to familiarity and use in The 40 Year Old Virgin. Because of the added narrative structure many of the songs are truncated and rearranged as well.

In the play Claude is one of the members of the hippies and gets his draft card and in the movie they changed him to a Oklahoma farm boy coming to MEPS in New York where he encounters the hippies. In the play it makes more sense why he does what he does instead of the film where within hours of getting off the bus he is dosing, getting high, partying,, and getting lost in Central Park. In the play Claude decides to show up to MEPS and is shipped off to Vietnam where he is killed and in the film the leader of the hippies, Berger, sneaks on to the base and trades places with Claude so he can see the group one last time before being shipped out and while posing as Claude the unit is activated and he is the one sent of to Vietnam and dies.

It isn't awful but and the more familiar you are with the play the more problems you'll have with the film, most likely.

Edit: MEPS: Military Entrance Processing Station. I don't even know if they call it that anymore.


This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2025/10/03 17:43:04


Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
 
   
Made in in
[MOD]
Otiose in a Niche






Hyderabad, India

And 10 years after that they used songs from Hair to sell minivans.




This is the dawning of the age of the Aerostar! Age of the Aerostar! Aeeerostar! Aeeerostar!

 
   
Made in jp
[MOD]
Anti-piracy Officer






Somewhere in south-central England.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
This was Mrs Kyoto recommendation - Cells at Work (Netflix)

The main characters are a red and white blood cell, and they're in love and together they fight crime. And viruses. And leukemia.




There's also a 2 season anime and 6 volume manga.

Worth a watch.


Saw this last month. It's fun by itself, but it's more fun if you're already read the manga series and seen the TV anime. The manga are used in medical schools in Japan, because the science is so good.

Downton Abbey, The Grand Finale

Time bimbles on to 1930 for the world-wide popular saga of British toffs and their servants getting dragged into the 20th century. The formula is unchanged; superb locations, props and costumes inhabited by a talented cast delivering somewhat cheesy lines. If you loved the TV series and the previous films you should definitely watch this. Otherwise stick to the 2002 production of The Forsyte Saga.

I'm writing a load of fiction. My latest story starts here... This is the index of all the stories...

We're not very big on official rules. Rules lead to people looking for loopholes. What's here is about it. 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






2025 Halloween Spooktacular Day 4 - All Hallow’s Eve

Streaming on Shudder. This is a horror anthology movie. Framing sequences are based on a kid being given a mysterious VHS tape in his trick or treat bag.

This is also where Art The Clown and the Terrifier film series began. Normally I’m an absolute sucker for this sort of thing.

This isn’t great, but isn’t without its charm. Leans too much into gore without working on its atmosphere for my preferences. But….the effects are practical, and it’s clearly people trying their best. Just sadly? Their best isn’t terribly good.

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Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






Halloween Spooktacular Day 5 - The Fly

A stone cold classic. Exceptional performances, solid story, phenomenal VFX.

If you’ve ever been curious about David Cronenberg’s work, this is the place to start. It’s not as wacky as his other offerings but does give you a solid idea of the competent weirdness he’s known for.

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Made in us
Arch Magos w/ 4 Meg of RAM






The Land of Humidity

I have lost my mind.

This weekend I watched a gakload of sequels:

Predator 2
Alien v Predator
Aliens v Predator: Requiem
Predators
Alien: Romulus


Strangely, Requiem reminded me of all the things wrong with Alien: Earth... namely the lack of horror replaced with hack and slash monsters.

I watched all these as the director of Alien: Romulus has hinted at doing his own AvP film, and I enjoyed Romulus (even if it doesn't fit into the Alien: Earth timeline, unless Science Officer Rook is lying about when the Company first encountered the Xenomorph.)


 BorderCountess wrote:
Just because you're doing something right doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing...

 
   
Made in gb
Assassin with Black Lotus Poison





Bristol

Alien Earth very much seems to have decided to wander off and do its own thing with regards to what history there was established before. Like saying that corporations run everything and there aren't national (or supranational to be more accurate) governments anymore.

Meanwhile in Aliens you have the United States Colonial Marine Corps, the main military arm of the United Americas, who had the authority to literally nuke a Weyland Yutani colony if they felt it was necessary. And the highest ranking officer on that mission was a Lieutenant.

In the tabletop RPG, curated from the disparate lore of the movies, the comics, the books, the video games etc., you have 3 main power players in the Alien universe, the United Americas, the Three World Empire, and the Union of Progressive Peoples. These formed towards the end of the 21st century, and reclaimed some of the power that megacorps like WY had managed to collect by advancing extra-solar colonisation as private enterprises, though obviously corps still had major economic, and thus political, power. Alien Earth is set in 2120, so these governments should be established by that point.

Edit to fix Gorman's rank.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2025/10/06 12:10:11


The Laws of Thermodynamics:
1) You cannot win. 2) You cannot break even. 3) You cannot stop playing the game.

Colonel Flagg wrote:You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me.
 
   
Made in gb
Leader of the Sept







Who is the Colonel in Aliens? I thought Gorman was the highest rank on the mission, and he is a very green Lieutenant.

Please excuse any spelling errors. I use a tablet frequently and software keyboards are a pain!

Terranwing - w3;d1;l1
51st Dunedinw2;d0;l0
Cadre Coronal Afterglow w1;d0;l0 
   
Made in gb
Assassin with Black Lotus Poison





Bristol

 Flinty wrote:
Who is the Colonel in Aliens? I thought Gorman was the highest rank on the mission, and he is a very green Lieutenant.


Ah gak yeah, for some reason I had him as a colonel in my head.

So yeah, a lieutenant was the highest ranking officer, and with the authority to launch a nuclear strike if it was felt necessary.

The Laws of Thermodynamics:
1) You cannot win. 2) You cannot break even. 3) You cannot stop playing the game.

Colonel Flagg wrote:You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me.
 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






In the years between Alien Earth and Aliens, it’s possible there was a societal shift back toward some semblance of democracy, hence USMC.

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Arch Magos w/ 4 Meg of RAM






The Land of Humidity

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
In the years between Alien Earth and Aliens, it’s possible there was a societal shift back toward some semblance of democracy, hence USMC.


Except for the fact that the USMC exists in Alien Romulus, so you've got an even shorter window.

And in Alien and Alien Earth both the Maginot and the Nostromo have "United States" in their ship registry.

 BorderCountess wrote:
Just because you're doing something right doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing...

 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






They do? Must’ve missed that.

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Arch Magos w/ 4 Meg of RAM






The Land of Humidity

Andy's video game has a soldier with a pulse rifle shooting bugs.




[Andy tosses him a rifle]

Tyler: Right, this is an F44AA pulse rifle. It's rotating breech, electronic pulse action. It's what the Colonial Marines used. AA stands for Aiming Assist. So, right, you put that under your arm. That's it. Right, this hand here. All right. Aim it towards Andy. Pull the trigger halfway. Don't worry, the safety's on. See? Aiming assistance. If that thing comes towards you, you point it in it's general direction, you'll never miss.

Rain: Where'd you learn all this?

Tyler: Uh... Games and magazines. You've just got one mag. That's it. 450 rounds.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2025/10/06 13:10:13


 BorderCountess wrote:
Just because you're doing something right doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing...

 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






Colonial Marines aren’t necessarily USMC at that point.

Like how the British East India Company once had a huuuuuge private army, which was latterly absorbed into the British Army.

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Arch Magos w/ 4 Meg of RAM






The Land of Humidity

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Colonial Marines aren’t necessarily USMC at that point.

Like how the British East India Company once had a huuuuuge private army, which was latterly absorbed into the British Army.


Since Alien Earth exists in a parallel timeliness unrelated to the other films in the series (Prometheus, Covenant, Romulus), we don't have to worry about how it changes the Canon.



Hawley:
“I think we’re telling a parallel story,” he said. “I’m not actively engaging with the films themselves in terms of who’s on the other end of the phone or that idea. So I’m not looking to connect it to those movies literally. I think it’s more taking the elements of original films and expanding them for my own purposes. And it’s sort of remarkable how little mythology there is to a franchise that’s six movies deep. … All we really know about the way humanity is organized is that it’s built around a corporation, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. And so I just expanded that to more of a corporate power struggle.”


Hawley:
“I think that for me, other than the shark in ‘Jaws,’ this is the most iconic monster in all of film history. And I lived for whatever, 28 years of my life believing that this creature was the perfect organism that had evolved over millions of years,” he said. “And then Ridley made ‘Prometheus’ and engaged with another idea in terms of the origin of these creatures, that it wasn’t part of my DNA of what these movies were to me. And so I chose not to engage with that part of the story and to just sort of speak to the alien that I had encoded
.”

 BorderCountess wrote:
Just because you're doing something right doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing...

 
   
Made in gb
Preparing the Invasion of Terra






That's not what that means, they're saying they're telling a story alongside what has already been made and touching on parts they want to include without the overarching "X must align with Z and Y must not be present".

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2025/10/06 14:05:00


 
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Red Iron Road

Not really a film, just a collection of 6 short animated films with horror or Horrorific elements.

You can really tell this is Russian/East European, because Dystopian societies seem the norm and feel really lived in and well understood in these. I believe Metra Films is Russian animators but I could be wrong.

This Dystopian element made it a bit more impactful. I particularly enjoyed the Cyberpunk and the Final Dystopian film.


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Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Dystopian? This won Film of the Year at the Eastern European Academy of Joy. It swept the Russian Sunshine Smile-Time Awards’ Most Optimistic and Best Outlook categories.

   
Made in ca
Ragin' Ork Dreadnought




Monarchy of TBD

Werewolves (2024)- Have you ever wanted to watch a werewolf movie where everyone becomes a werewolf if they see the moon, the werewolves have no special immunities, and they only turn for one night once a year or so under a supermoon?

This is the purge, if it traded it's light social commentary for a bunch of werewolf suits. Everything happens in one night. It's okay, but not nearly as werewolfy as I expected in a movie called 'Werewolves'.I do very much enjoy that all the main werewolves get one piece of signature clothing or armor that expands when they become a werewolf so you can keep track of them.

Klawz-Ramming is a subset of citrus fruit?
Gwar- "And everyone wants a bigger Spleen!"
Mercurial wrote:
I admire your aplomb and instate you as Baron of the Seas and Lord Marshall of Privateers.
Orkeosaurus wrote:Star Trek also said we'd have X-Wings by now. We all see how that prediction turned out.
Orkeosaurus, on homophobia, the nature of homosexuality, and the greatness of George Takei.
English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleyways and mugs them for loose grammar.

 
   
Made in us
Arch Magos w/ 4 Meg of RAM






The Land of Humidity

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Dystopian? This won Film of the Year at the Eastern European Academy of Joy. It swept the Russian Sunshine Smile-Time Awards’ Most Optimistic and Best Outlook categories.


I thought all Russian films were happy and joyful.

 BorderCountess wrote:
Just because you're doing something right doesn't necessarily mean you know what you're doing...

 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






Was shattered after work yesterday, so doubling up today’s Halloween Spooktacular 2025.

First up?

The Muppet’s Haunted Mansion

In which Gonzo and Pepe must survive the titular. Not the finest Muppet outing, but still a load of fun. Well suited to kids as well.

And

The Haunted Mansion 2003.

This is fine. Good fun, but not quite as fun as you feel it should be. Possibly the last time Eddie Murphy was charming rather than irritating?

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2025/10/07 16:16:46


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Made in gb
Assassin with Black Lotus Poison





Bristol

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

The Haunted Mansion 2003.

This is fine. Good fun, but not quite as fun as you feel it should be. Possibly the last time Eddie Murphy was charming rather than irritating?


Nah, that would be Dolemite Is My Name from 2019, where he is playing Rudy Ray Moore.

Great film about one of the real characters of blaxploitation movies. Fans of Red Letter Media will likely be familiar as they did a whole best of the worst spotlight on one of his films, Petey Wheatstraw.

Eddie just gets the character, this carny hustler trying every way he can to grind his way to the top be it in music, comedy, and then, finally, movies.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2025/10/07 20:13:12


The Laws of Thermodynamics:
1) You cannot win. 2) You cannot break even. 3) You cannot stop playing the game.

Colonel Flagg wrote:You think you're real smart. But you're not smart; you're dumb. Very dumb. But you've met your match in me.
 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






I’ll take your word for it, but there’s little argument he went from Hot Stuff to Barely Tepid across his career.

On to…

The Conjuring 4, Last Rites

I’ve seen the others, so figured I might as well see this one.

The whole series is kinda Upper Mediocrity. I’ve seen worse, but I’ve also seen a lot better. The main thing is I know I’m in for a largely enjoyable time.

If something like Bring Her Back or Weapons to name two recent excellent ones are a Steak Dinner, cooked perfectly medium rare with all the trimmings by your favourite Granny? The Conjuring films are Burger King. A good bit more effort than most long running series, but still junk food at the end of the day. And thanks to the fresh chunky veggies in the Whopper, somewhat better for you than a McDonalds.

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Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






The Naked Gun (2025)

OK. I was exceptionally sceptical of this one. Not only were the first three written by masters, but one does not simply replace Leslie Nielsen.

But you can. If it’s Liam Neeson. He’s got the delivery pitch perfect. It’s not quite deadpan. It’s not quite farce. It’s…..well I guess it’s just Police Squad! Playing it straight with a very slightly exaggeration and knowingness. The silliness clear to see, but never really acknowledged in-universe.

The background gags are subtle, and not something we’re smashed over the head with. The word play too is just taken in everyone’s stride.

Definitely worth seeing, this one.

Also? Pamela Anderson is looking good!

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2025/10/08 20:15:26


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Made in de
Liche Priest Hierophant






I happened to watched The Naked Gun last night, and I'm pretty positive about it as well. I can't say I had any concerns beforehand. Liam Neeson is above doubt, after all.

So I'll happily second the recommendation.

Nehekhara lives! Sort of!
Why is the rum always gone? 
   
Made in gb
[DCM]
Chief Deputy Sub Assistant Trainee Squig Handling Intern






It’s rare that we get a latter day sequel that’s up to snuff. Even rarer for a latter day comedy sequel to be up to snuff.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sole complaint is that it’s pretty short.

However. I’d rather it be short, than stuffed with filler jokes purely for the sake of run time.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2025/10/08 20:30:46


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Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

I’m surprised you watched it considering who one of the producers is.

I also recommend The Naked Gun 2025.

   
 
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