P starts with a continuation of the mishap of O. Because I had grabbed the Korean movie Phone, apparently as an extension of my One Missed Call error. Now I have had Phone for quite awhile, but never watched it. In trying to watch it for this, I discovered it wasn’t very engaging. I tried for days to watch it, and then realized it wasn’t worth the effort. Because I am supposed to be highlighting movies that are exciting and worth watching. So let’s deal with good P… so to speak.

The story here is the kind of messing with your mind story I thoroughly love. Mixed with the sort of storytelling that existed in the 70’s. It makes for a mixed experience in some ways.

We start with the sort of gratuitous nudity that is used purely because showing boobs in a horror movie is expected. Two characters are having sex in a cemetery, but then she kills the guy (although in the final frames of the opening, she turns into the Tall Man.) During the funeral though, we are told that he died due to suicide. I like this start, because it really adds complexity to the story. Because there is so much “What the heck?” And then the Tall Man picks up the coffin by himself. Causing more “What the?”

So much of this movie is “What the…” And that is amazing. The flying silver spheres are weirdly awesome from the first moment we see one. But then the blades pop out. And then when they hit someone, a drill pops out! And then blood is pumped from the back of the sphere in a jet. An incredible moment that became an iconic horror movie scene.

But I’ve gotten away from the story and into the movie (errr, is that a thing?) This movie swirls around the funeral home, cemetery, and mausoleum and the Tall Man whose presence is just downright creepy at all times. There is so much mystery surrounding the events as they unfold that it is hard to understand what is happening. But that makes it amazing. And then there are the Jawas. Okay, they aren’t Jawas, because that’s a Star Wars thing. But they are dressed like Jawas. They are much uglier though.

The biggest problem with this movie is actually the acting. Because the actor who plays Mike is so bad, its painful.

Don Coscarelli has created an incredible world here, and one that has been returned to 4 times now! With mixed results. Each new entry further explores the world and expands on what we know. The fifth (and final??) movie really complicates things, as there is an alternate plot going on. Where Reggie is a mental patient and the whole thing has been a figment of his imagination.

There was an animated entry after the fifth movie, and then an entry in Mike Tyson Mysteries that is about the Tall Man. I haven’t seen either of those, and I need to rewatch number 5. Because I don’t know how I feel about it.

But this series has been a cornerstone of my love of horror for a long time. Even with the flaws and inconsistencies.

The idea of this is that there is a facility, kinda like a prison. It is a vertical facility where each floor has 2 occupants. Not exactly prisoners, but sorta. We don’t know how many floors there are, but we find out from one of the characters that he had been on floor 171 at one point. Why does it matter how many floors there are? Because this facility has a singular point of food distribution. The titular “platform.”

The platform descends with a tremendous amount of food on it. It starts at level 0 (for loading purposes) and then proceeds down through the numbers. Those on level 1 have free rein to the untouched food and drink offered. And they gorge themselves. Eating beyond their needs, and therefore putting those on lower levels in danger. Because the occupants do get moved, but after a month.

So if you are on level 171, the platform will not have anything edible on it when it reaches you. And those people need to survive a month with only access to water. A side note, you are not allowed to hold onto any food item once the platform passes you by.

This movie does have some impossibilities. You have to roll with the suspension of disbelief at times. One being how the platform moves, because it floats freely in the hole at the center of each room. Another being the nature of eating. I don’t recall them saying how long the platform pauses for them to eat, but based on the movie I would say about 5 minutes. So that is 12 levels per hour. We know at least 171 levels, so that makes it 15 hours of feeding time. Which does math out as viable, until we find out there are more levels. 333 total. Which amounts to close to 28 hours. We do find out that if a floor is empty, the platform doesn’t stop there, but I would think the first few days of a month would not have any empty floors. Another mental quandry with this comes from the idea of shifting them all at the end of the month. This comes with a lot of people needing to move at the same time, and it appears the platform is the only means of access. Also at the end of the month, they need to clean up the dead. And how do they keep restocking the people?

It’s a little unclear whether they are meant to be prisoners, because the main character we follow chose to enter the facility for six months. He was not a criminal being incarcerated.

Ultimately, this movie is one that has a lot going for it. In spite of my questioning. I tend to dig deep into movies I like. I have watched this multiple times. And with Platform 2 coming out, I will likely rewatch it after watching that.

Although like Cube and the Menu, this movie is one where I don’t see a sequel holding much water. Some concepts should be allowed to exist within a vacuum. Cube didn’t need a sequel, or a prequel. I have watched them and enjoyed them to a degree, because of how much I love the original. But the franchise would have been better off without being a franchise. From a historical perspective, Cube would hold a higher status had it not been tainted with franchising. I expect a same sort of thought process will occur after I watch Platform 2. At least the chances of a Menu 2 are almost absolute zero (although a follow up movie of Anya Taylor Joy’s character would be of interest as I really liked her.)