Also that flag it totally badass. I can see people fighting and dying under that flag.
Which one?
Kalki said:My personal favorite horror film is "Quatermass and the Pit," a 1967 adaptation of a 1959 tv serial. It really used the science fiction and alien genres to really comment on Cold War paranoia. Particular is the way the Martians manipulate the fears of the populace, and especially tricking the military into thinking the ship was an American or Soviet made ploy to increase hysteria, so they reveal the ship, and amplify the influence it has. I heard that Kneale had fought extensively with the executives at Hammer Films over the film, because of its criticism of the government-military complex, and was forced to portray the Martian civilization as a hivemind, who want to eliminate individuality, as a metaphor for communism.
Another Hammer film I liked was "The Thing." It is not only a great adaptation of the short story, but it is very chilling, and it plays off the suspicion each of the crew has over which of the crew could be the alien. Once again, a good commentary on Cold War paranoia.
TotalBrit said:Yeah, if you want good British horror, you can't go wrong with Hammer. I have seen all of the Dracula and Frankenstein films from them. Although, here in Newfoundland, you cannot find a single copy of any of those films. Then again, the stores here have tons of cheap Brazilian or Indian made rip-offs of popular films, so I shouldn't be surprised that classic films are not as well distributed.
RuleBritannia said:Wait, you live in Newfoundland?
TotalBrit said:Yeah, I work for an IT company, who posted me here as a manager for a new Canadian branch. It pays well, that's all I have to say about living here.
Anyway, yeah, I have a liking towards more Gothic horror films, than science fiction. That's why I lean towards Hammer's adaptations of those stories (Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy) than the Quatermass series, which is good. I do enjoy your Yank horror films. The Universal Monsters are classic, of course, as are the monster and alien films you made in the 50's and 60's. However, psychological thrillers seem to be your bread and butter. I mean, the Silence of the Lambs, Black Christmas, Black Swan. All great films that build tension from the psychotic mind, rather than a ghoul or monster. Come to think of it, you tend to make better horror films than anyone else.
NestorMakhno said:Well, we benefited a lot from the influx of German impressionist talent in the 1930's. Men like Fritz Lang, FW Murnau, and Richard Oswald brought their impressionist style, and that steadily began to influence the films made here, particularly the thrillers and horror films. Compare the Universal Monster films, to later versions of those stories made in the 60's, and you'll see what I mean.
That said, it's not like every American horror film is gold. Especially during the Second Cultural Revolution and the Green Revolution. It was during those times when the genre became oversaturated. In this case, monster and alien films dominated the genre in the 50's and 60's. And for every auteur genius like Edward Wood, who could make an invocative and stunning film from such fantasy, you had 3 hacks, who just made a quick, cheap film, (sometime by misusing Union funds). That's why Mystery Science Theater exists, of course. Slashers dominated the 70's and 80's. While we had good films in that genre, like Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the genre basically devolved into schlock by the late 80's.
Anyway, back to the OP, well, I enjoy psychological horror films, like Psycho or Silence of the Lambs. They seem to hold more weight to me than any fantastic elements. The examination of the mind is always fascinating to watch, especially that of anti-social individuals. Psycho was particularly good, examining a seemingly nice, but lonely man, who is revealed to be a murderer who dresses as his mother. Ironically, given that, I do have a soft spot for Japanese Monster movies. The original few Godzilla films are classics, of course. There was this great Japanese film called Matango, where a group of shipwreaked cruise passengers find an island full of Fungus people, which is really quite scary.
GreenAvenger said:There was this great film "The Crypt", which was an anthology based on the old Marvel books from the early 50's. The Crypt Keeper was okay, but the defining aspect of the film were the stories themselves, which were heavily reminiscent of those old ironic tales. Another good horror anthology film was the film adaptation of "Beyond the Horizon," featuring adaptations of famous episodes. Some were less good than the original (Like "Revolutionary Road" or "It's Good Life"), but overall it was very good.
I like the work of Ed Wood. His bizarre, avant-garde visions helped define the aesthetic of horror in the 50's. I mean, the remake of Bride of Frankenstein, Grave Robbers from Space. Those are absolute classics.
NestorMakhno said:Yeah, the remake of "Revolutionary Road" was disappointing. For those of you who haven't seen the episode, it revolves around a Red Soldier during the Civil War, who, after losing one of his best friends in the fight, begins to wonder whether the cause was truly worth the trouble. He falls asleep, and wakes up in 1965, where he finds the fully realized UASR, as well as his older self and his own family. While he sees that it has its own share of problems, he realizes that his friend sacrifice was not in vein, and decides to fight on to see this vision go through. In the film, his friend's sacrifice was removed, and he doesn't encounter his older self, so his character transformation makes less sense.
I made some UASR Agitprop, with the kindly Uncle Sinclair replacing the stern Uncle Sam.
I'm a bit more interested in Harry Turtledove's world war series; maybe even to the point of wanting to think on how the race would react to invading this particular earth instead of the OTL 1942 earth.
I recently discovered the Broadway musical Hamilton, and I'm wondering if such a thing could exist in the UASR. Maybe a musical retelling of the Revolution?
For that matter, what would be the state of musical theatre in this TL? I assume the better living conditions in New York/Metropolis would butterfly any semblance of RENT being made, but I believe it was mentioned that there was a movie version of Les Miserables soon after the revolution, which may be a forerunner of a musical adaptation.
I also believe that the continued use of Yiddish in the UASR will extend the lifespan of Yiddish theatre.