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Friday, October 6, 2017

Thursday Movie Picks #169: Halloween Edition - Masks


Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share three to five  movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of movies and tell us why you chose them. For further details visit the series main page here.
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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Halloween Edition - Masks

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Hey it's October and the whole of this month I'm running the Halloween Edition. Take a look at what's in store for the rest of the weeks.

October 5 - Halloween Edition: Masks
October 12 - Halloween Edition: Dolls
October 19 - Halloween Edition: Body Horror [Suggested by Myerla]
October 26 - Halloween/Television Edition: Horror

 

It's the 4th annual Halloween Edition! Yep we've done four rounds of these already! Today's theme is masks.
  

Scream (1996-2011)
I never got the appeal of the Scream movies when I saw them a long time ago. I've recently rewatched the first three Scream movies and I get it now. I still haven't watch most of the movies if not all that Scream references, but I know enough of them now, to get what it's trying to reference.

You're Next (2011)
Hmm...I think if you like Scream, I'm guessing you would like this too. It's a clever horror thriller that flips the home invasion plot.

The Purge (2013)
The doll like masks and preppy outfits of the tormentors in this one were just creepy.

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 So that's it...my three picks. What movies made your list today?

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4 comments:

  1. Sonia CercaOctober 6, 2017 at 3:04 AM

    I loved The Purge and I also picked it. I saw Scream ages ago but I don't remember much about it.

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  2. Brittani BurnhamOctober 6, 2017 at 3:48 AM

    I love Scream! Easily one of my favorites slasher movies. I haven't seen your other two picks.

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  3. joel65913October 6, 2017 at 8:14 AM

    I've only seen Scream. I'm not enough of a horror/slasher fan to say that I loved it but at least with the first one I got a kick out of many of its in jokes. I watched the second which was less successful at that mix of humor and horror and stopped there.

    I can't imagine watching the other two but The Purge certainly is popular today.

    As I said horror isn't my thing but I made it work this week by going with a theme within the theme and choosing three versions of a classic horror tale that I do like.

    The Phantom of the Opera (1925)-Moody, expressionist original version of the Gaston Leroux novel tells the tale of a disfigured man (Lon Chaney) who resides under the Grand Opera House of Paris and becomes enamored by a young singer (Mary Philbin). He becomes obsessed with making her a success resorting to extremes to bring that about. Contains a most impressive color sequence which considering it’s almost 100 years old is beautifully composed from the primitive elements available at that time. There have been many versions but this remains a singular experience thanks to both Chaney’s self-designed makeup hidden for most of the running time behind a mask and skill at expressing emotion through it.

    The Phantom of the Opera (1943)-Rejiggering the origin story somewhat this version starts with opera violinist Erique Claudin (Claude Rains) hopelessly in love with raising soprano Christine DuBois (Susanna Foster) who is also pursued by baritone Anatole Garron (Nelson Eddy) and police inspector Raoul Daubert (Edgar Barrier). Claudin secretly sponsors Christine’s vocal training until he is dismissed due to arthritis in his hands. Having submitted a concerto to an unscrupulous publisher Claudin discovers his work stolen and in a fit of anger strangles the man just as his assistant enters and throws a tray of acid in Claudin’s face. Permanently scarred he dons a mask and haunts the cellars of the opera house pursuing his goal to make Christine a star at any cost. Incredibly lush looking film was nominated for four Oscars. Unsurprisingly Rains is excellent and both Eddy and Susanna Foster were major opera stars of their day so the performance sequences are solid.

    The Phantom of the Opera (2004)-Filmed take of the enormously successful Andrew Lloyd Webber version does not capture the magic that was present onstage. Curiously inert considering the entire thing is sung and staged for movement with the mask once used to hide the phantom’s disfigurement far more aesthetically pleasing now that he has been transformed into some sort of romantic stud ideal. Considering he’s not a trained singer Gerard Butler does well enough in the lead but you’ll miss Michael Crawford soaring power on the songs. The rest of the cast is efficient but unmemorable except for Minnie Driver who has fun as the bitchy diva Carlotta, though her voice is dubbed.

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  4. BirgitOctober 6, 2017 at 7:32 PM

    I have seen Scream and I liked it although I got nightmares...typical of me. I haven't seen the other 2 and I probably won't...too scary

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