One of the bigger complaints I hear about horror films in various reviews is that “it made me feel uncomfortable.” Usually leading to the reviewer giving the film a bad review.

Discomfort is one of those things that really puts people off to an experience. I get that. It’s a feeling that’s got a lot of negative associations.

But it’s also what precedes any serious bit of growth and is often found along the path from ignorance to understanding.

Discomfort crops up when you’re out of your comfort zone. And it’s your “comfort zone” that will kill you with stagnation if you’re not careful.

I love films and stories that make me feel uncomfortable. It means I stand to learn something from them–either about myself or about the world in general. Usually something I wouldn’t learn otherwise.

We spend a lot of our lives avoiding being uncomfortable and scared. For at least some of us who love horror films, we seek out those feelings. And when we can get both of them at once–discomfort that gives way to enlightenment and fear that explodes into a release–well, that’s a magical thing, indeed.

Both movies from the last regular night of the Spooky Movie Film Festival provided those feelings. They Look Like People was intensely uncomfortable in places, not being sure whether the main character was crazy or was actually being made ready to face a demonic invasion. German Angst was decided European in its style and, for those of us in the U.S., that’s always a bit uncomfortable (take us out of our cultural element and we don’t know how to react all the time). Definitely films I’d recommend. German Angst, though, most certainly isn’t for everyone. It’s not the most graphic film, but the mix of realistic and ritualistic violence really isn’t at everyone’s cup of tea. Even more so with the sexual themes involved in at least part of the film.

Now that Spooky is over, I won’t be running around quite as much and may actually have a chance to get ahead of the game again. Maybe even figure out some titles or something. This coming week, I’m going to try to move away from fictional spooky things and into more real-world ones. We’ll see how that goes.

So, here’s the vlog on those last two movies. Enjoy!

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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I’ve known for a long time that I’ve had odd tastes in entertainment.

Compared to the sensibilities in my small town, they’re downright weird.

I like horror films and other fantastical genres. I like thinking deeply about those films (and TV shows and stories).

Thing is… I don’t fit in with a good hunk of the rest of the fans of the things I enjoy. I don’t get quite as passionate about things as some. I’m much pickier about others.

This becomes particularly clear when it comes to horror films.

See, I actually like my horror films smart and scary (in general). Sure, I love Evil Dead 2 and thoroughly enjoy some schlock every now and then. But most low-budget horror-comedy? Don’t much care for it.

I was reminded of this when I saw Killer Rack the other night. I chuckled a few times, but mostly I just rolled my eyes and cringed. Other people in the theater enjoyed it a lot more. That’s often the case with these films.

So, reviewing them seems a bit… difficult. I mean, the goal was to make a funny, bad movie… and, as far as most people are concerned, it was, indeed, funny (there’s no question about the “bad” part). Since I don’t care for the style, though, there’s not a lot good I can say about it and everything generally bad I’d have to say is, well, pretty much what everyone else considers “good” in the style.

Which leaves tonight’s review a bit awkward.

So, take it as more of my own opinion than usual. I don’t have a decent enough yardstick for measuring “intentional crap” movies when they make the audience happy. (Which this one most certainly did.)

Anyway, took the night off of the movie fest so I could catch up with some other things (like sleep). I’ll be back out tomorrow night… but I already have tomorrow’s special vlog #25 shot… and should have it ready to go sometime during the day tomorrow.

Here’s tonight’s review… it’s the breast I could do. 😉

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

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It’s one thing to have a family business where everyone goes and works at the restaurant or retail store or becomes a lawyer and joins the family practice.

It’s another thing to get the whole family involved in a tale of utter psychological terror, where they’re all–including the young daughter–more or less playing themselves.

Luciferous is exactly that other thing. And it’s pretty excellent.

This is the first full-length feature for Mahsa Ghorbankarimi and Alexander Gorelick, but you really wouldn’t know it until right at the end of the film. It’s a slow build to full-steam-ahead terror, but every step of the way it’s a believable story of either supernatural predation or pure mental breakdown.

With everyone playing themselves, the relationship dynamics are believable and what would otherwise be bad dialog reads true to who these “characters” are. It also makes the emotion–like when their daughter goes missing or when Alex is afraid he’s going to hurt his family–more raw and real than what you normally see in a first production on this scale.

Needless to say, this is much more my kind of film than Valley of the Sasquatch was. I’ve been reminded that my taste in horror films is very, very different from most other people who seem to be “fans” of horror. I’m okay with that… as long as I get some good films like this out of the deal.

So, here’s the vlog where I gush a bit over this film. If you get the chance (and you will get the chance, they’ve already got a distribution deal for next year), and you love some deeply dramatic and realistic horror, check this out.

Don’t forget that you have some say over what goes on for the next 100 days… click the big green button below here to get to the page where you can submit topic suggestions and questions (so I know what kinds of things you want to see go on in these videos).

[jbutton size=”xxlarge” color=”green” link=”http://durosia.com/vlog-questions” newpage=”yes”]Come Ask a Question Here[/jbutton]