OSCARS 2015: IF YOU LIKED THAT BEST PICTURE NOMINEE, THEN TRY THIS….

Hey there fellow cinemasochists. Nothing says cinemasochism like sitting through ALL EIGHT of the Oscar Best Picture Nominations. Generally, Oscar movies tend to be forgettable but year after year, bets are made, critics complain and no matter what, no one is happy.
This year I decided to pick an accompanying film for each Best Picture Nomination. Whether you liked or even saw the nominated picks, I think you'll enjoy these sister picks. If not, please leave your complaints or suggestions in the comments section. Enjoy and Happy Oscar Sunday!


If you liked Selma, check out:
Get On The Bus (1996)
Selma is an elegant and beautiful civil rights film. Get On The Bus is a Spike Lee joint from 1996 about 12 disparate black man taking a bus across the country for the Million Man March. It's a well written, and an entertaining trip.




If you liked Foxcatcher, check out:
Behind The Candelabra (2013) 
Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher was an unsettling, slow boil of a film about a strange billionaire (Steve Carrell) taking an Olympic wrestler (Channing Tautm) under his wing and training in the years leading up to the 1988 Olympics. It's dark, unique and has one too many fake noses. Steven Soderburghs Behind The Candelabra deals in sort of the same creepy faux father figure relationship between a damaged rich man (Liberace played perfectly by Michael  Douglas) with parent issues and the young man (Matt Damon) who falls into his money and cocaine filled spell. Behind The Candelabra, as you would guess, has more flair and pizazz due to the nature of it's subject. It's fabulous!



If you like The Imitation Game, check out:
I'm gonna cheat with this one and pick a TV show… Manhattan (TV/2014) 
Imitation Game is about Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) cracking Nazi codes in England during WWII.  Manhattan is a TV show about the creation of the atomic bomb, which is what America was doing during WWII.




If you like American Sniper, check out:
The Hurt Locker (2008)
I've seen American Sniper before. I saw it 6 years ago. It was raw, intense, exciting, poignant and it was called The Hurt Locker.




If you like Birdman, check out:
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) 
Michael Keaton's Riggan Thomson thinks he has it bad as an aged ex super hero actor trying to find relevance, but what if you were haunted in your dreams by a fictitious dream monster from a movie you made 10 years before you realize said monster came to life and is after you and your family? Sorry, Riggan, dream demon Freddy Krueger is much scarier than your personal demons.




If you like Boyhood, check out:
Dazed & Confused (1993) 
Boyhood is a coming of age movie spanning 12 years. Dazed & Confused conveys the same feeling in 12 hours after high school graduation. It also has one of the best soundtracks ever compiled...




If you like The Grand Budapest Hotel, check out:
Four Rooms (1995) 
More hotel shenanigans abound in this goofy comedy starring Tim Roth as a bell boy trying to make sense of his hotels guests requests and essentiality trying to get through his shift in one piece.




If you like Theory Of Everything, check out:
Regarding Henry (1991) 
Directed by Mike Nichols, written by JJ Abrams (weird, right?) and stars Harrison Ford as a lawyer who gets shot, almost dies, and has to spend the rest of the movie doing an "Oscar" act. The plot unfolds in the opposite direction as Theory of Everything. We watch the rehabilitation and not the debilitation. Either way, you're forced to cry…




If you like Whiplash, check out:
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010)
When you're a teenager, you tend to focus on one thing. You either want to be the best at something or you want to impress a girl/boy. Whether you're being pushed to the edge by a teacher or you're being pushed to the edge by your own insecurity, you will stop at nothing to achieve one or the other. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World shows the same agony Whiplash does, but with a cartoonish, video game flair.



Posted by: Sean

Horror Movie Giveaway!

HAPPY FREAKIN' HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! 

I don't know about you guys, but this is by far my favorite month of the year. You can get away with watching the best (and the worst) films that you can find that'll make you jump, scream and in our case, laugh! Because of the yearly tradition, we tend to learn a lot of horror trivia.

Luckily, Lionsgate created this fun quiz app and if you win, you get a FREE HD Download of The Blair Witch Project! No, NOT Blair Witch 2, but the terrifying and ground breaking original!

In case you haven't heard it yet, here's our take on Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2!
(http://cinemasochists.blogspot.com/2011/10/episode-40-book-of-shadows-blair-witch.html)

Play this app and we will randomly pick a winner by Nov. 15th! When playing use the hashtags #lionsgate and #cinemasochists

GOOD LUCK!!!

Fine print: 

Each household is only eligible to win One (1) Digital Download code for The Blair Witch Project via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please. Please note that the assets included within this message were delivered to you to promote Lionsgate . Any actions (including contest and competitions) that you complete with the provided assets are your liability, and should comply with both local and international laws. Also, please remember to disclose that you are working with Lionsgate , or that Lionsgate supplied these materials to you if required by local law.

A Cinemasochists Review of "Argentos' Dracula" or "Dracula 3-D"

Bram Stoker's book "Dracula" has been adapted in some way, shape, or form over 200 times. It is only second to Sherlock Holmes, who as of the last decade has had a hugely successful resurgence. In fact, the concept of a seducer vampire that Bram Stoker eloquently created in 1897 has also been prevalent in pop culture in the last decade. Straying from the source has been a blessing in disguise for these modern adaptations. Twilight turned it into teen soap and even a major network television drama about Dracula sets the titular character up as a sort of Victorian Bruce Wayne.
With all of these adaptations around, what else can be said or done for such a beloved horror story? Apparently nothing according to master of horror Dario Argento. His 2012 adaptation of the novel is the closest thing we've had to a literal interpretation since Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 rock opera-esque "Bram Stokers Dracula".
This was supposedly shot in 3D and if you were unlucky enough to sit through this in the theatre, you could've caught it in it's intended form. I however, watched in on Netflix, so I was forced to only watch it in only two dimensions. I imagine the 3D does not help. In fact, I don't think anything could help this production. Right from the first frame, you notice the production value is that of a European soap opera, and I imagine it was made with a similar crew. I did forgive this however, because production value is not as important as story and here, fortunately for the film makers, this is a great story. This good faith only lasted about an hour so when I realized that this was only half way over. As it goes on, and on, and on, the production value doesn't bother you so much as the pacing. This film is a snail crawl.
If you're not familiar with the story, I'm sorry that this is your first foray into it.
It begins with a superfluous introduction complete with gratuitous nudity and a death by owl. Yes, by owl. In other Dracula stories, it's assumed he can take shape as a wolf or a bat. In this film, he shape shifts into both, but also in a random act of artistic liberty, as an owl, cockroaches, ants and one other absolutely ridiculous transformation you have to see to believe.
Jonathan Harker, a young,  librarian is sent to visit Count Dracula below the Carpathian mountains on business that is not made too clear in the film. Harker is married to Mina, a close friend of the mayor's daughter and comes to visit only to find Jonathan missing after being bit by the Count and left in his castle.
Mina's friend Lucy is later bit and transformed into a strange entity in which Mina cannot describe. Due to the strange occurrences happening, a mysterious man named Van Helsing (played-I mean, phoned in by Rutger Hauer) comes to town to warn Mina whom she may be dealing with.
Dracula then finds Mina and tells her Jonathan was sent only as a ploy to bring her to town because she is in fact a descendent of his long lost lover. As he is about to bite Mina and keep her for his own, Van Helsing drives a stake through the Counts heart and puts an end to the murder and mayhem.
The film, although boring, has some worthwhile elements in it and if you are a Dracula or even an Argento devotee, it's worth a watch. For gore hounds, there are some very schlocky, yet fun kills and the gore is pure Argento with blood so saturated in color, it's almost glowing. It is by far not even close to being one of the best Dracula adaptations, and if it does nothing else, it should inspire you to read the novel which you'll feel you've gotten through quicker than you feel getting though this movie!

Rating from 0 to -10 :

- 5

IMDB Link

The Conjuring Blu Ray GIVEAWAY!

Hey everyone! Halloween is only a week away and in keeping with the holiday vibe, we are GIVING AWAY a Blu Ray of one of the best horror films of the year, The Conjuring!

Send us an email telling us your favorite supernatural movie of all time and we'll put you in the running for the Blu Ray. 

If you haven't seen the movie yet, you should be ashamed of yourself.... BUT, you should check out the GIFs below

The Conjuring 5 Things to know… INTERACTIVE GIFS! 

 1) The Conjuring is directed by the acclaimed James Wan, the Australian-born director of the fright-fests Insidious and the Saw series. His Twitter handle is @CreepyPuppet. Say no more.

 2) The Conjuring has been given an “R” rating by the MPAA. Not because of blood, gore, or violence, but simply because it’s just so scary from start to finish!

 3) The Conjuring’s cast and crew experienced creepy events during filming. Scratches appeared out of nowhere on Vera Farmiga’s computer soon after she agreed to act in the movie, the crew were routinely woken by something in the “witching hour” between 3 and 4AM, and the real-life Carolyn Perron fell and broke her hip while visiting the set.

 4) The Rhode Island farmhouse where The Conjuring is set once belonged to an accused witch, Bathsheba, who tried to sacrifice her children to the devil and killed herself in 1863.

 5) Hold your applause! The Conjuring will make you terrified to clap! Whether it’s playing a traditional game of hide-and-seek by following the clapping sounds like the mother and daughter in the movie, or being terrorized by ghostly claps in different rooms of the haunted farmhouse, these claps throughout the movie will give you the creeps!
 


Each household is only eligible to win 1 The Conjuring Blu-ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. ONLY USA AND CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY

PACIFIC RIM BLU RAY GIVEAWAY!!! (and more)

Hey everyone! Happy October! We hope you're watching the worst (and / or best worst) horror films the world has to offer this month! We certainly are and that's why we've been lazy on new podcast episodes. But rest assured....THEY'RE COMING!

We do have good news though..... We are GIVING AWAY a copy of PACIFIC RIM on Blu Ray for all of our USA and Canada fans!

All you have to do is email us: cinemasochists@gmail.com and we'll pick one lucky winner before October 29, 2013!

Subject Line should read: Pacific Rim Giveaway

In the message, tell us what your favorite summer 2013 movie was, ASIDE from Pacific Rim.

One lucky winner will receive a BLU RAY copy of the film!!! Pretty sweet!

While you're waiting for us to decide who wins, go ahead and play with this Pacific Rim app:

Go BIG or go EXTINCT!

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pacific Rim is an epic science fiction film set in the 2020s. Earth is at war with Kaijus; colossal monsters from an inter-dimensional gateway on the Pacific Ocean floor. Humanity unites to fight these huge monsters by creating the Jaegers: gigantic humanoid robots that are controlled by two pilots whose minds and memories are linked. The story takes place in the later days of the war, following Raleigh Becket, a former Jaeger pilot called out of retirement and paired up with newbie pilot Mako Mori in a final effort to defeat the Kaijus!

Pacific Rim is released on Blu-ray & DVD Oct.15!

"Each household is only eligible to win 1 Pacific Rim Blu-Ray via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification."

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! We'll be back soon with the next Stephen King adaptation !

Bounty Killer DVD GIVEAWAY!

EMAIL US FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A DVD COPY OF "BOUNTY KILLER"

I'm not gonna lie. I just watched the trailer for this and it looks like a LOT of fun! However, I am partial to both Grindhouse homage flicks AND tongue in cheek post - apocalyptic action films (ahem, Dollman!) Clearly, it appeals to BOTH of those things! I'm in. Are you?

Check out the app below for the hilarious trailer, free GIF's and take the "Could You Be A Bounty Hunter" quiz! 

One lucky reader (or listener of our podcast) can win a DVD of the film. Just email: cinemasochists@gmail.com for you chance to win. 

Synopsis below the app. 

 

This is the age of the BOUNTY KILLER.

Bounty killers compete for body count, fame and a fat stack of cash. They're ending the plague of corporate greed and providing the survivors of the apocalypse with retribution.

Based on the graphic novel, Bounty Killer follows the exploits of Mary Death, the leading Bounty Killer on the scene.

It’s been 20 years since the corporations took over the world’s governments. Their thirst for power and profits led to the corporate wars, a fierce global battle that laid waste to society as we know it. Born from the ashes, the Council of Nine rose as a new law and order for this dark age. To avenge the corporations’ reckless destruction, the Council issues death warrants for all white collar criminals. Their hunters: the bounty killers!

Bounty Killer is in theaters and VOD September 6. Go see it!

Cinemasochists present...The Stephen King Project Episode 1 - Carrie

Hey loyal Cinemasochists of the world! We're back! After a 6 month long hiatus, we decided to spice things up a bit and after many, many requests to do a video podcast, we decided to cave in and try it out. But that wasn't enough. We needed more. You DESERVE more! Instead of just a regular old "bad movie" pick like we usually do, we decided to do the marathon of all marathons......We are taking on EVERY SINGLE STEPHEN KING ADAPTATION! That's right. Not just the theatrical movies, but the made for TV movies, the many mini series, the straight to DVD films, even the TV episodes he wrote. There are about 1,456 adaptations*... We counted.

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you Episode 1 of our "Stephen King Project" (as well as our very first VIDEO podcast) warts and all. 

CARRIE

(for AUDIO ONLY version of the podcast, please click here) 

*slight exaggeration