Got this beauty in the mail today!
Mine's coming from Amazon UK but not scheduled to arrive until next week :(
Everything I've read and heard about it though says that it will be well worth the wait!!
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31 Days of Horror (2018) - The October Movie Marathon
- Thread starter ThirstyFly
- Start date
Mine's coming from Amazon UK but not scheduled to arrive until next week :(
Everything I've read and heard about it though says that it will be well worth the wait!!
I know this one's controversial, guys. I apologize in advance. My hot take for the month.
Just finished the 29th movie, thoughts to follow tomorrow. The last two movies will probably be rewatches on Halloween night. Everything else has been first-time viewing so far.
28) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
★★1/2
Full disclosure: I have always considered Wes Craven to be the most overrated of all the supposed horror masters. His best efforts are too uneven to ever be in the same league as Carpenter's or Romero's masterpieces.
In the original "Nightmare on Elm Street", we're already off to a bumpy start. Certainly not a strong suit of the slasher genre anyway, our group of soon-to-be-dead teenagers are neither believable nor remotely interesting. When we finally get a good glimpse of Freddy himself, it becomes evident why he would eventually be transformed into a wisecracking pop culture icon. It was the only way to go forward. Here, even without much of the comedy present in the later entries, he is just not that menacing. Sure, his modus operandi is relatively unique, but he himself is wholly unimpressive, boring us with lame throwaway lines such as, "I'm gonna get you" or "I'll kill you slow". If that's all you can come up with, I'd rather you just didn't talk at all. His backstory, briefly touched upon, feels like an afterthought and is not explored to any satisfying degree.
The creative dream sequences, however, are where this first outing truly shines. The impressive practical effects – Freddy's face stretching through the wall, the sticky staircase, the infamous bed scene – are imaginative, unsettling and pack a visceral punch. It is telling, then, that the movie is scariest when Freddy is not on screen.
In a sea of same-y Friday the 13th knockoffs, I can see why it has become a classic, but it's deeply flawed – much like Craven's entire oeuvre.
1) Terrifier (2018) ★1/2
2) Child's Play 2 (1990) ★★1/2
3) Motel Hell (1980) ★★★
4) Wolfen (1981) ★★1/2
5) The Devil's Candy (2015) ★
6) I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016) ★★★1/2
7) Lake Mungo (2008) ★★★1/2
8) Child's Play 3 (1991) ★1/2
9) Dead Night (2018) ★★
10) The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) ★
11) Bride of Chucky (1998) ★★★
12) XX (2017) ★1/2
13) Seed of Chucky (2004) ★1/2
14) Stake Land II/The Stakelander (2016) ★★1/2
15) Curse of Chucky (2013) ★★1/2
16) The Old Dark House (1932) ★★★
17) Cult of Chucky (2017) ★★
18) The Devil Rides Out (1968) ★★1/2
19) The Innocents (1961) ★★★1/2
20) Emelie (2015) ★★1/2
21) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) ★
22) Witchfinder General (1968) ★★★1/2
23) Satan's Little Helper (2004) ★★★
24) Tragedy Girls (2017) ★★1/2
25) Death Line/Raw Meat (1972) ★★1/2
26) Night of the Demon/Curse of the Demon (1958) ★★★★
27) The Mephisto Waltz (1971) ★★
Just finished the 29th movie, thoughts to follow tomorrow. The last two movies will probably be rewatches on Halloween night. Everything else has been first-time viewing so far.
28) Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
★★1/2
Full disclosure: I have always considered Wes Craven to be the most overrated of all the supposed horror masters. His best efforts are too uneven to ever be in the same league as Carpenter's or Romero's masterpieces.
In the original "Nightmare on Elm Street", we're already off to a bumpy start. Certainly not a strong suit of the slasher genre anyway, our group of soon-to-be-dead teenagers are neither believable nor remotely interesting. When we finally get a good glimpse of Freddy himself, it becomes evident why he would eventually be transformed into a wisecracking pop culture icon. It was the only way to go forward. Here, even without much of the comedy present in the later entries, he is just not that menacing. Sure, his modus operandi is relatively unique, but he himself is wholly unimpressive, boring us with lame throwaway lines such as, "I'm gonna get you" or "I'll kill you slow". If that's all you can come up with, I'd rather you just didn't talk at all. His backstory, briefly touched upon, feels like an afterthought and is not explored to any satisfying degree.
The creative dream sequences, however, are where this first outing truly shines. The impressive practical effects – Freddy's face stretching through the wall, the sticky staircase, the infamous bed scene – are imaginative, unsettling and pack a visceral punch. It is telling, then, that the movie is scariest when Freddy is not on screen.
In a sea of same-y Friday the 13th knockoffs, I can see why it has become a classic, but it's deeply flawed – much like Craven's entire oeuvre.
1) Terrifier (2018) ★1/2
2) Child's Play 2 (1990) ★★1/2
3) Motel Hell (1980) ★★★
4) Wolfen (1981) ★★1/2
5) The Devil's Candy (2015) ★
6) I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016) ★★★1/2
7) Lake Mungo (2008) ★★★1/2
8) Child's Play 3 (1991) ★1/2
9) Dead Night (2018) ★★
10) The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) ★
11) Bride of Chucky (1998) ★★★
12) XX (2017) ★1/2
13) Seed of Chucky (2004) ★1/2
14) Stake Land II/The Stakelander (2016) ★★1/2
15) Curse of Chucky (2013) ★★1/2
16) The Old Dark House (1932) ★★★
17) Cult of Chucky (2017) ★★
18) The Devil Rides Out (1968) ★★1/2
19) The Innocents (1961) ★★★1/2
20) Emelie (2015) ★★1/2
21) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) ★
22) Witchfinder General (1968) ★★★1/2
23) Satan's Little Helper (2004) ★★★
24) Tragedy Girls (2017) ★★1/2
25) Death Line/Raw Meat (1972) ★★1/2
26) Night of the Demon/Curse of the Demon (1958) ★★★★
27) The Mephisto Waltz (1971) ★★
Ordered it on Amazon UK as well and delivery to Germany was surprisingly fast.
This edition is absolutely amazing! Though it's funny that the demon is so prominently displayed, considering that Tourneur absolutely hated that thing.
#37 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - For the life of me, I cannot understand how people come to hate a movie so much because of one missing element. Since the release of Halloween III, I know people to this day who still refuse to even watch the movie due to Michael Myers not being in it. In fact, what we got instead was a good, brooding, creepy Halloween film that has become a cult classic through the years.
Dr. Challis is called to the hospital one night to oversee the care of a hysterical old man clutching a Halloween mask while fearfully claiming that someone is coming to kill us all. When the patient is murdered by a man in a suit, Dr. Challis joins the deceased man's daughter Ellie to investigate the mystery behind the Silver Shamrock masks.
Taking the whole Myers thing away for a moment, I can understand why some people wouldn't like this movie. The acting is cheesy, the villains aren't that scary (especially spitting up orange juice when they die), some unintentionally humorous scenes, and the main villain's motivation sounds a bit far-fetched. But the great Carpenter soundtrack, the dark themes, tone, and most certainly the deaths scenes really make this one of my favorite entries in the series. Dare I say that the death scenes in H3 are among the most graphic in the series. A man gets his skull crushed, a head is pulled off, and a laser shoots someone in the mouth with great effects. Not to mention the scene that shows what the masks are really for. There are also a lot of jump scares accompanied by a music cue that is pretty effective if you're into the movie. The ending is left ambiguous, but I personally prefer the bad one as it fits better with the overall tone of the film.
Halloween III has been my "give it a chance" recommendation for years to those not immediately sent into a rage upon hearing it's not about Michael Myers. I honestly think he should've stayed dead after part 2 with the mess the sequels and the Rob Zombie remake were. But that's beside the point. Halloween III would be enjoyed by most Carpenter fans and those who like his style. It's not a great film by any means, but it's a solid effort.
7 more days till Halloween, SIL-VER SHAMROCK out of 10.
Fell behind on my reviews so you're getting an onslaught today.
#26 Cronos (1993)
That fucker does nothing but shit and piss all day, and he wants to live longer?
That poster does not communicate this film in the slightest.
The first film from Guillermo del Toro, who I'm a big fan of as it is, and it already bares much of his hallmarks. Great visuals and colours, a heavy dose of mythology, and a fusion of English and Spanish. I found it to be quite an original take on the vampire tale, which is easier said than done.
An antiques dealer finds a mysterious device inside a statue recovered from the collection of an recently deceased and awfully pale man with a bloodbath in his basement. The device soon attaches itself to the old man and begins changing him, meanwhile a young Ron Perlman (in his first of many collabs with del Toro) is sent to recover it by any means necessary. Perlman is great in this, looking in his youth like a fusion of Will Ferrell and Gary Busey, and I don't think I appreciate how fantastic a voice he has enough. It's higher here than in most films I see him in, and dripping with constant sarcasm and resentment.
I've always enjoyed del Toro's blending of the Mexican and American worlds he's resided in, and the switching from English to Spanish throughout the film, often in the same sentence, just gives it a good vibe. For a small film and small budget, it pulls off its makeup effects well, and the "inside shots" of the device showing this clockwork/insect amalgamation look terrific.
All that being said, it's not really a horror film, but closer to being a dark and moody drama with supernatural elements. But as I said, it's a creative take on vampires and I'd recommend it anyway.
#26 Cronos (1993)
That fucker does nothing but shit and piss all day, and he wants to live longer?
That poster does not communicate this film in the slightest.
The first film from Guillermo del Toro, who I'm a big fan of as it is, and it already bares much of his hallmarks. Great visuals and colours, a heavy dose of mythology, and a fusion of English and Spanish. I found it to be quite an original take on the vampire tale, which is easier said than done.
An antiques dealer finds a mysterious device inside a statue recovered from the collection of an recently deceased and awfully pale man with a bloodbath in his basement. The device soon attaches itself to the old man and begins changing him, meanwhile a young Ron Perlman (in his first of many collabs with del Toro) is sent to recover it by any means necessary. Perlman is great in this, looking in his youth like a fusion of Will Ferrell and Gary Busey, and I don't think I appreciate how fantastic a voice he has enough. It's higher here than in most films I see him in, and dripping with constant sarcasm and resentment.
I've always enjoyed del Toro's blending of the Mexican and American worlds he's resided in, and the switching from English to Spanish throughout the film, often in the same sentence, just gives it a good vibe. For a small film and small budget, it pulls off its makeup effects well, and the "inside shots" of the device showing this clockwork/insect amalgamation look terrific.
All that being said, it's not really a horror film, but closer to being a dark and moody drama with supernatural elements. But as I said, it's a creative take on vampires and I'd recommend it anyway.
Puppetmaster: The Littlest Reich
Another Letterboxd Hooptober entry:
I have the original series here on DVD waiting to watch and watched the original a year or two ago in another marathon so I definitely knew what I was getting into. Sure I'd watched a few way back in college, but that was decades ago...yeesh. So what was this one like?
Well, let me just start by saying it was a pretty bad b movie, but I loved it anyway. This has a modern amount of gore which is to say over the top in places. There is also some pretty good laughs if your into dark humor. Things do get pretty dark though which I can appreciate but I wish there was a happier ending.
The puppet animation was definitely better than I expected. Some, maybe all, were cgi, but they weren't Syfy bad cgi by any means. The only issue here is that they kept touting having over 60 of the things but it seemed like some puppets were duplicates. I'd much rather have a solid dozen that were all unique and not some army of copies, but that's a minor nitpick in the overall.
I can definitely see why someone would not enjoy this and maybe I have bad taste in horror, but this was decent to me.
Littlest Reich gets three neins!
Another Letterboxd Hooptober entry:
I have the original series here on DVD waiting to watch and watched the original a year or two ago in another marathon so I definitely knew what I was getting into. Sure I'd watched a few way back in college, but that was decades ago...yeesh. So what was this one like?
Well, let me just start by saying it was a pretty bad b movie, but I loved it anyway. This has a modern amount of gore which is to say over the top in places. There is also some pretty good laughs if your into dark humor. Things do get pretty dark though which I can appreciate but I wish there was a happier ending.
The puppet animation was definitely better than I expected. Some, maybe all, were cgi, but they weren't Syfy bad cgi by any means. The only issue here is that they kept touting having over 60 of the things but it seemed like some puppets were duplicates. I'd much rather have a solid dozen that were all unique and not some army of copies, but that's a minor nitpick in the overall.
I can definitely see why someone would not enjoy this and maybe I have bad taste in horror, but this was decent to me.
Littlest Reich gets three neins!
28. The Halloween Tree (1993) - This is a decent kids' movie that explores some of the origins of Halloween. There's some fun to be had and a few emotional moments, but for the most part I felt like I was watching an educational movie. Not sure if I'll give this one another spin.
OP
OP
#37 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - For the life of me, I cannot understand how people come to hate a movie so much because of one missing element. Since the release of Halloween III, I know people to this day who still refuse to even watch the movie due to Michael Myers not being in it. In fact, what we got instead was a good, brooding, creepy Halloween film that has become a cult classic through the years.
I'll say it. Tom Atkins > Michael Myers.
Thrill me.
#27 Don't Breathe (2016)
Just because he's blind doesn't mean he's a saint, bro
The moral is...don't rob houses I guess. A trio of delinquents who quietly burglarize houses try for one last big score in the house of a wealthy reclusive blind man. The blind man unfortunately turns out to be Stephen Lang, and so they are in deep shit.
It's all very well made, with tight camerawork and editing and shying away from over-reliance on jumpscares or gore. There are quite a number of plot holes, the characters often act rather dumb, and Lang's blind man borders on having Daredevil powers at times. However, as a simple thriller, it works. There's some neat twists and turns, and the gimmick of the antagonist being deadly but blind is original and it's played up cleverly by the director (who also did the Evil Dead remake, a very different horror film to this one). As you'd expect from that premise, the sound design is excellent.
That being said, there is the problem of it being tricky to root for anyone, as the leads are burglars, and the blind man is a nut. It's a cast of assholes.
Keeping that in mind, I'd still recommend it all the same.
Just because he's blind doesn't mean he's a saint, bro
The moral is...don't rob houses I guess. A trio of delinquents who quietly burglarize houses try for one last big score in the house of a wealthy reclusive blind man. The blind man unfortunately turns out to be Stephen Lang, and so they are in deep shit.
It's all very well made, with tight camerawork and editing and shying away from over-reliance on jumpscares or gore. There are quite a number of plot holes, the characters often act rather dumb, and Lang's blind man borders on having Daredevil powers at times. However, as a simple thriller, it works. There's some neat twists and turns, and the gimmick of the antagonist being deadly but blind is original and it's played up cleverly by the director (who also did the Evil Dead remake, a very different horror film to this one). As you'd expect from that premise, the sound design is excellent.
That being said, there is the problem of it being tricky to root for anyone, as the leads are burglars, and the blind man is a nut. It's a cast of assholes.
Keeping that in mind, I'd still recommend it all the same.
Oct 24
70. Don't Hang Up (2016)
Dipshit Youtuber pranksters get revenge punked, only this time there''s blood. This was actually pretty fun, I love one house horror films and this takes place entirely inside and around one house. The ending packs a sufficient punch and the characters are charismatic douchebags so you kinda like them and also kind like seeing them suffer
71. The Eyes of my Mother (2016)
Yo this movie might be my fav thing I've seen so far, I don't even want to give a synopsis it's much better just experienced cold. So good, so fucked.
72. Unfriended (2014)
An ADHD afflicted's worse nightmare, I like to be on my phone while watching movies and this one is basically quasi the movie equivalent of reading this forum lol. I give it credit for an interesting idea, and it's kind of fun, the "realistic" glitches and choppy video calls need to die in a fire though. Some fun spooky stuff.
73. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
LOL they entirely ditch the supernatural from the first one and as a result it's actually less believable. Too bad too because this was a much more likeable cast. Alas it's pretty dumb and the reveal at the end is seriously silly. Fun if you wanna laugh though, also they got rid of the choppy video so that's nice.
Oct 25
74. Dismissed (2017)
Word of advice, give Dylan Sprouse an A when he asks for it. This is actually a pretty fun little high school psycho smart student vs teacher thriller. It;s absolutely nothing to write home about but Sprouse does his part well.
75. My Teacher, My Obsession (2018)
LOL.... The only reivew on Rotten Tomatoes says "lurid and ludicrous" and yup that sounds about right. Hallmark acting, dumbass people, it's silly it's goofy it's fnny as shit at how not good it is. Girl seduces her new best friend's Dad who is also their English teacher.... The moment the Dad just goes with it is really funny.... Because like wtf dude.
76. The Strangers (2008)
When i saw this in theatres I wasn't impressed, now 10 years later I love it,it's tight, it's fucked, it's claustrophobic and it;s bleak. The monstrous human is such a nice concept and it's executed great here
77. The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
While there's a pretty good Final Girl here the movie just doesn't have the same effect as the first, likely due to an entire trailer park to play in. Doesn't work as well as the first. Too bad.
Oct 26
78. Ouija (2014)
A paint by number haunting film, an underused Lin Shaye, it's nothing terrible but nothing special.
79. Ouija:: Origin of Evil (2016)
In contrast this film was tight, a great performance from the main possessed character (who was also very likeable in Annabelle: Creation where she played the main target of the possessed). It's bleak, it;s well crafted,a rare better than the original.
80. Wolves at the Door (2016)
If you can ignore the utter exploitative nature of making the Sharon Tate murders into a shlocky home invasion film, there's some good here, not much but some, there's a sort of brutality that hit me, but again it's really really exploitative.
81. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
This is probably top 5 of all time for me, rewatching it just affirms that. This is great film that is essentially about very human things presented through the lens of a horror movie. Shipka is a gem, Roberts is a gem. Just a great, at times gutwrenching film.
82. The Innkeepers (2011)
This is my favorite ghsot film, and part of my proof positive that Ti West is the greatest horror auteur alive today... i wish he'd come back to horror. The ghosts are used sparring which greatly increases their effectiveness and the final shot of this film is one of the most subtle shots I've ever seen. It's a beautiful film.
Oct 27
83. The Ritual (2017)
Group horror films live and die by their chemistry and this cast had it in spades. They elevated average material and writing into something better, mix in some gorgeous cinematography and scene transitions and you have a pretty decent film.
84. Insidious (2010)
Patrick Wilson + James Wan = me loving it. Wan gets the best out of Wilson. Insidious has an incredible music score, it is great visually and Lin Shaye is bae. Great haunting flick, really fun series in general
85. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
Wilson gets to play it differently here and I love him for it. It;s not as strong as the first but is still none the less a highly effective ghost flick. Byrne really shines in this one as well.
Oct 28
86. Lavendar (2016)
Abbie Cornish does great work here in this Canadian semi horror flick that deals with lost memories, tragedy and a bit of ghosts of the mind. This is another film where the horror elements serve a more greater purpose than just to scare you, the cinematography is very pretty and the musical score is moving. Justin Long is great in his small role and carries an emotional weight that'd be easy to mess up given his short amount of screen time. Things are pretty predictable mind you but there was something here for me that just worked, I think I kicked into hyper empathy with the main character and her family.
87. The Lazarus Effect (2015)
Oh man I was so jazzed when I saw a cast of Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover and Evan Peters.... I still did find some fun in this, largely because this cast is amazing and lifts the material but it's concept is largely unexplored alas. I'd still give it a passing grade, because there's some fun shit, but oh what could have been
88. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
Opting to ignore the cliffhanger of 2 and do a prequel this movie is passable mostly because Lin Shaye is bae. It's an average spooky possession demon ghost thing. It adds some interesting lore to the Inisidious greater narrative but not a whole lot. It is fun to see how Elise meets her ghost hunting crew.
89. Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
Exploring the origin of Elise allows Line Shaye, who is still bae, to really make this her film. As such, I liked it a lot more than I liked Chapter 3, and the way everything ties into the greater narrative makes it kind of heartbreaking. Decent stuff/
Oct 29
90. Dig Two Graves (2014)
More of a thriller than anything else, I really seem to enjoy films that deal with loss. This one is no different. strong performances from Samantha Isler and Ted Levine, carries this morality play. It's a pretty quick watch so I recommend it, if you;re in the mood for something random.
91. Inside (2016)
This movie pissed me off in the funniest way possible. Ostensibly it;s supposed to be a claustrophobic flick where the safest place you're supposed to have, your home, becomes a terrifying prison.... but holy shit this movie is dumb shit... Rachel Nichols, who I love, does the best she can here but fuck me the writer has her do the dumbest shit... Not to mention this film introduces chances for her to escape like 4 or 5 times only to pull it away, that tense close call works butt not when the entire movies is made up of them, then it becomes goofy as fuck. Nichols knocks down or takes down her attacker like 8 times, each time she runs away instead of finishing the job and each time the attacker pops up... Infuriating. I laughed
92. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Justin Long is so cute, the movie is not. Meh not sure why this had any cult following, short of a pretty killer final frame.
93. Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)
The bets part of the original is gone (Justin Long) so now there's nothing but jocks on a bus and an unexplained psychic... lame.
94. Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)
Wtf, the Creeper becomes Demon Kevin McCallister here with his crazy trapped up truck.... This sucked so bad it was funny. They even tease at the grand explanation of how the fucker is, even show tow character gaining this knowledge through supernatural means but don't let the audience in on the vision... making this thing entirely fucking pointless.
Oct 30
95. The Forest (2016)
Man I was psyched cause I love Natalie Dormer, but this was fucking stupid. Nothing worth watching here. Nothing, not even Natalie Dormer playing twins.... 2X the amount of Dormer and she's still let down by everything aorund her being utter shit.
96. Wildflower (2016)
I was promised a murder mystery, amnesia thriller. I got a hallmark Faith Based Christian Snore. Laughable acting, horribly funny narration, shoe horned in God is the way stuff (which actually are the more competent parts of the film go figure). Ah well. Not everything is going to be great,,,, this is the price I pay for choosing my movies this year based on synopsis, accessibility and 90 min or less requirements.
97. Malicious (2018)
I liked the take on possession here but it didn't take full advantage so it just kind of felt generic, the ending though is fucking hilarious in a good way.
Sweet I will hit 100 on the final day, on Halloween.
70. Don't Hang Up (2016)
Dipshit Youtuber pranksters get revenge punked, only this time there''s blood. This was actually pretty fun, I love one house horror films and this takes place entirely inside and around one house. The ending packs a sufficient punch and the characters are charismatic douchebags so you kinda like them and also kind like seeing them suffer
71. The Eyes of my Mother (2016)
Yo this movie might be my fav thing I've seen so far, I don't even want to give a synopsis it's much better just experienced cold. So good, so fucked.
72. Unfriended (2014)
An ADHD afflicted's worse nightmare, I like to be on my phone while watching movies and this one is basically quasi the movie equivalent of reading this forum lol. I give it credit for an interesting idea, and it's kind of fun, the "realistic" glitches and choppy video calls need to die in a fire though. Some fun spooky stuff.
73. Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
LOL they entirely ditch the supernatural from the first one and as a result it's actually less believable. Too bad too because this was a much more likeable cast. Alas it's pretty dumb and the reveal at the end is seriously silly. Fun if you wanna laugh though, also they got rid of the choppy video so that's nice.
Oct 25
74. Dismissed (2017)
Word of advice, give Dylan Sprouse an A when he asks for it. This is actually a pretty fun little high school psycho smart student vs teacher thriller. It;s absolutely nothing to write home about but Sprouse does his part well.
75. My Teacher, My Obsession (2018)
LOL.... The only reivew on Rotten Tomatoes says "lurid and ludicrous" and yup that sounds about right. Hallmark acting, dumbass people, it's silly it's goofy it's fnny as shit at how not good it is. Girl seduces her new best friend's Dad who is also their English teacher.... The moment the Dad just goes with it is really funny.... Because like wtf dude.
76. The Strangers (2008)
When i saw this in theatres I wasn't impressed, now 10 years later I love it,it's tight, it's fucked, it's claustrophobic and it;s bleak. The monstrous human is such a nice concept and it's executed great here
77. The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)
While there's a pretty good Final Girl here the movie just doesn't have the same effect as the first, likely due to an entire trailer park to play in. Doesn't work as well as the first. Too bad.
Oct 26
78. Ouija (2014)
A paint by number haunting film, an underused Lin Shaye, it's nothing terrible but nothing special.
79. Ouija:: Origin of Evil (2016)
In contrast this film was tight, a great performance from the main possessed character (who was also very likeable in Annabelle: Creation where she played the main target of the possessed). It's bleak, it;s well crafted,a rare better than the original.
80. Wolves at the Door (2016)
If you can ignore the utter exploitative nature of making the Sharon Tate murders into a shlocky home invasion film, there's some good here, not much but some, there's a sort of brutality that hit me, but again it's really really exploitative.
81. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
This is probably top 5 of all time for me, rewatching it just affirms that. This is great film that is essentially about very human things presented through the lens of a horror movie. Shipka is a gem, Roberts is a gem. Just a great, at times gutwrenching film.
82. The Innkeepers (2011)
This is my favorite ghsot film, and part of my proof positive that Ti West is the greatest horror auteur alive today... i wish he'd come back to horror. The ghosts are used sparring which greatly increases their effectiveness and the final shot of this film is one of the most subtle shots I've ever seen. It's a beautiful film.
Oct 27
83. The Ritual (2017)
Group horror films live and die by their chemistry and this cast had it in spades. They elevated average material and writing into something better, mix in some gorgeous cinematography and scene transitions and you have a pretty decent film.
84. Insidious (2010)
Patrick Wilson + James Wan = me loving it. Wan gets the best out of Wilson. Insidious has an incredible music score, it is great visually and Lin Shaye is bae. Great haunting flick, really fun series in general
85. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
Wilson gets to play it differently here and I love him for it. It;s not as strong as the first but is still none the less a highly effective ghost flick. Byrne really shines in this one as well.
Oct 28
86. Lavendar (2016)
Abbie Cornish does great work here in this Canadian semi horror flick that deals with lost memories, tragedy and a bit of ghosts of the mind. This is another film where the horror elements serve a more greater purpose than just to scare you, the cinematography is very pretty and the musical score is moving. Justin Long is great in his small role and carries an emotional weight that'd be easy to mess up given his short amount of screen time. Things are pretty predictable mind you but there was something here for me that just worked, I think I kicked into hyper empathy with the main character and her family.
87. The Lazarus Effect (2015)
Oh man I was so jazzed when I saw a cast of Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover and Evan Peters.... I still did find some fun in this, largely because this cast is amazing and lifts the material but it's concept is largely unexplored alas. I'd still give it a passing grade, because there's some fun shit, but oh what could have been
88. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
Opting to ignore the cliffhanger of 2 and do a prequel this movie is passable mostly because Lin Shaye is bae. It's an average spooky possession demon ghost thing. It adds some interesting lore to the Inisidious greater narrative but not a whole lot. It is fun to see how Elise meets her ghost hunting crew.
89. Insidious: The Last Key (2018)
Exploring the origin of Elise allows Line Shaye, who is still bae, to really make this her film. As such, I liked it a lot more than I liked Chapter 3, and the way everything ties into the greater narrative makes it kind of heartbreaking. Decent stuff/
Oct 29
90. Dig Two Graves (2014)
More of a thriller than anything else, I really seem to enjoy films that deal with loss. This one is no different. strong performances from Samantha Isler and Ted Levine, carries this morality play. It's a pretty quick watch so I recommend it, if you;re in the mood for something random.
91. Inside (2016)
This movie pissed me off in the funniest way possible. Ostensibly it;s supposed to be a claustrophobic flick where the safest place you're supposed to have, your home, becomes a terrifying prison.... but holy shit this movie is dumb shit... Rachel Nichols, who I love, does the best she can here but fuck me the writer has her do the dumbest shit... Not to mention this film introduces chances for her to escape like 4 or 5 times only to pull it away, that tense close call works butt not when the entire movies is made up of them, then it becomes goofy as fuck. Nichols knocks down or takes down her attacker like 8 times, each time she runs away instead of finishing the job and each time the attacker pops up... Infuriating. I laughed
92. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Justin Long is so cute, the movie is not. Meh not sure why this had any cult following, short of a pretty killer final frame.
93. Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)
The bets part of the original is gone (Justin Long) so now there's nothing but jocks on a bus and an unexplained psychic... lame.
94. Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)
Wtf, the Creeper becomes Demon Kevin McCallister here with his crazy trapped up truck.... This sucked so bad it was funny. They even tease at the grand explanation of how the fucker is, even show tow character gaining this knowledge through supernatural means but don't let the audience in on the vision... making this thing entirely fucking pointless.
Oct 30
95. The Forest (2016)
Man I was psyched cause I love Natalie Dormer, but this was fucking stupid. Nothing worth watching here. Nothing, not even Natalie Dormer playing twins.... 2X the amount of Dormer and she's still let down by everything aorund her being utter shit.
96. Wildflower (2016)
I was promised a murder mystery, amnesia thriller. I got a hallmark Faith Based Christian Snore. Laughable acting, horribly funny narration, shoe horned in God is the way stuff (which actually are the more competent parts of the film go figure). Ah well. Not everything is going to be great,,,, this is the price I pay for choosing my movies this year based on synopsis, accessibility and 90 min or less requirements.
97. Malicious (2018)
I liked the take on possession here but it didn't take full advantage so it just kind of felt generic, the ending though is fucking hilarious in a good way.
Sweet I will hit 100 on the final day, on Halloween.
October 28, 2018
Mayhem
Synopsis: Derek climbs the corporate ladder at his law firm but feels the disingenuous and conniving office politics weighing him and his conscience down. As the ID7 parasite invades his buidling, it removes all inhibitions from the employees. Violence, hostility, lust and insanity ensues. They are quarantined for eight hours and any actions taken of any employee within the building are considered legal because of their consciences compromised by the ID7 parasite. Can Derek and a new found friend survive this unpredictable situation and make it to the top of building to set things right?
Review: This movie was a good mixture of brutal fun and a good amount of office related gore. It's like if you took "Purge" and mixed it with "The Belko Experiment". Steven Yuen and Samara Weaving were excellent as our protagonists and as simple as the story was, the chaotic atmosphere and the insane antics of the infected employees made up for it. Watching the attitudes of the characters be one way and then seeing those exact attitudes turned upside down by the ID7 parasite was sometimes funny, sometimes cringe worthy and sometimes great to watch. I had a great time seeing in this movie society explode from having order to insane chaos and what people would be capable of if they no longer had their consciences to hold them back.
- 7/10
Mayhem
Synopsis: Derek climbs the corporate ladder at his law firm but feels the disingenuous and conniving office politics weighing him and his conscience down. As the ID7 parasite invades his buidling, it removes all inhibitions from the employees. Violence, hostility, lust and insanity ensues. They are quarantined for eight hours and any actions taken of any employee within the building are considered legal because of their consciences compromised by the ID7 parasite. Can Derek and a new found friend survive this unpredictable situation and make it to the top of building to set things right?
Review: This movie was a good mixture of brutal fun and a good amount of office related gore. It's like if you took "Purge" and mixed it with "The Belko Experiment". Steven Yuen and Samara Weaving were excellent as our protagonists and as simple as the story was, the chaotic atmosphere and the insane antics of the infected employees made up for it. Watching the attitudes of the characters be one way and then seeing those exact attitudes turned upside down by the ID7 parasite was sometimes funny, sometimes cringe worthy and sometimes great to watch. I had a great time seeing in this movie society explode from having order to insane chaos and what people would be capable of if they no longer had their consciences to hold them back.
- 7/10
About all I can say about this film is Lucy Boynton (who tends to be underutilized in most of her roles) has a quite interesting profile.
Like a Greek statue or something, which the director did notice and use. When all I have to talk about is a side character's actress' face shape, you know it was a nothing movie. Nothing happens, nothing is said, nothing is felt, and then it stops. One of the weakest films of last year's marathon for me.
01. Before I Wake (3/5)
02. 47 Meters Down (3/5)
03. Little Evil (3/5)
04. Sharknado (2/5)
05. The Shallows (3/5)
06. The Lodgers (1/5)
07. IT 2018 (4/5)
08. Apostle (2/5)
09. Halloween 1978 (5/5)
10. Halloween 2018 (4/5)
11. Death Note (4/5)
12. Resident Evil Retribution (3/5)
13. Death Machine (1/5)
14. The First Purge (2/5)
15. Ghost Stories (5/5)
16. Summer of 84 (5/5)
17. A Quiet Place (5/5)
18. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (5/5)
19. Tau (4/5)
20. The 'Burbs (6/5)
I can't describe in words how much I love this movie. It puts a big smile on my face every time I watch it.
It's made by Joe Dante (who also made Gremlins, duh) and has an all-star cast consisting of Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Corey Feldman and last but not least, Rick Ducommun who sadly passed away a couple of years ago.
The story is about Ray Peterson who took a week off from work and is just hanging around the house and lets himself getting talked into that the weird nextdoor neighbours who keep to themselves are actually satanists who murdered the old man on the street as a human sacrifice. The claims by his other neighbour Art is backed up by weird behaviour at all hours of the day.
And it just escalates from there :D
Tomorrow I will round off October by going to the movies for a special event where they will be showing the original Evil Dead.
02. 47 Meters Down (3/5)
03. Little Evil (3/5)
04. Sharknado (2/5)
05. The Shallows (3/5)
06. The Lodgers (1/5)
07. IT 2018 (4/5)
08. Apostle (2/5)
09. Halloween 1978 (5/5)
10. Halloween 2018 (4/5)
11. Death Note (4/5)
12. Resident Evil Retribution (3/5)
13. Death Machine (1/5)
14. The First Purge (2/5)
15. Ghost Stories (5/5)
16. Summer of 84 (5/5)
17. A Quiet Place (5/5)
18. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (5/5)
19. Tau (4/5)
20. The 'Burbs (6/5)
I can't describe in words how much I love this movie. It puts a big smile on my face every time I watch it.
It's made by Joe Dante (who also made Gremlins, duh) and has an all-star cast consisting of Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Bruce Dern, Corey Feldman and last but not least, Rick Ducommun who sadly passed away a couple of years ago.
The story is about Ray Peterson who took a week off from work and is just hanging around the house and lets himself getting talked into that the weird nextdoor neighbours who keep to themselves are actually satanists who murdered the old man on the street as a human sacrifice. The claims by his other neighbour Art is backed up by weird behaviour at all hours of the day.
And it just escalates from there :D
Tomorrow I will round off October by going to the movies for a special event where they will be showing the original Evil Dead.
Film 37 - Still/Born
The story of a woman who fears her new baby is in danger from a demonic entity, Still/Born is quite enjoyable for the first hour or so. I had some misgivings about the lead actress (mainly because she only has two facial expressions: everything's fine, or I'm-shitting-myself-in-bug-eyed terror), but I was still having fun with the movie. Sadly, the third act goes off the rails a bit, and several things happen that really took me out of the film.
Despite that I did still enjoy the film, and there is a fantastically unsettling reveal right at the end that I loved, even though I half guessed it already.
Films I've watched so far
The story of a woman who fears her new baby is in danger from a demonic entity, Still/Born is quite enjoyable for the first hour or so. I had some misgivings about the lead actress (mainly because she only has two facial expressions: everything's fine, or I'm-shitting-myself-in-bug-eyed terror), but I was still having fun with the movie. Sadly, the third act goes off the rails a bit, and several things happen that really took me out of the film.
How did Mary get from the hospital to her house, barefoot, dressed in her hospital gown, with no purse or apparent method of paying for her transport? If she ran all the way, how come she wasn't out of breath? How come her feat were still clean and undamaged?
Also, I'm just going to go ahead and say that the iPhone on speakerphone conversation, through a plate glass window, with one party in a moving car and other not even standing close to the window, just wouldn't have worked.
Lastly, if you were rushing to try and defuse a deadly situation, and you had your mother-in-law in the car with you, no normal person would take the time to unstrap and remove their baby from the car seat and carry said baby blindly into that deadly situation.
Also, I'm just going to go ahead and say that the iPhone on speakerphone conversation, through a plate glass window, with one party in a moving car and other not even standing close to the window, just wouldn't have worked.
Lastly, if you were rushing to try and defuse a deadly situation, and you had your mother-in-law in the car with you, no normal person would take the time to unstrap and remove their baby from the car seat and carry said baby blindly into that deadly situation.
Despite that I did still enjoy the film, and there is a fantastically unsettling reveal right at the end that I loved, even though I half guessed it already.
Films I've watched so far
Yup.
and in regards to your spoiler comment, suspension of disbelief bro, c'mon :P
#28 Tetsuo the Iron Man
Hello...hello...hello...hello...hello...hello...
The incomprehensible industrial nightmare from Shinya Tsukamoto. This was certainly a trip. I've known of the film for a long time, but didn't know it was this uh, unusual in its filmmaking.
Shot in black and white, in a low-fi and absolutely deranged style, it follows an unnamed salaryman who after perpetrating in a hit and run, finds himself slowly and painfully transforming into scrap metal. The editing uses every crazy woosh, flash, cut and whizzbang in the book, up to and including stop motion anime fights.
From the wild acting, the metal scrapes and industrial beats of the soundtrack, the cramped urban decay settings, to the gruesome metal body horror, it's Mr. Tsukamoto's Wild Ride and you may wish to get off.
Given it had the budget of approximately...a camera, with which to point and record things, the makeup effects are astonishing. There's some genuinely scary imagery in all the wires, pipes, bolts and one very gnarly drill bursting out of every which way. The film is The Thing, in metal. It's truly experimental and original, I've not seen a film like it before.
Now, the big question. Did I "enjoy" it? Fuck if I know, but I won't ever forget it.
It's a mere hour long, so I think any horror film should at least experience this once.
Hello...hello...hello...hello...hello...hello...
The incomprehensible industrial nightmare from Shinya Tsukamoto. This was certainly a trip. I've known of the film for a long time, but didn't know it was this uh, unusual in its filmmaking.
Shot in black and white, in a low-fi and absolutely deranged style, it follows an unnamed salaryman who after perpetrating in a hit and run, finds himself slowly and painfully transforming into scrap metal. The editing uses every crazy woosh, flash, cut and whizzbang in the book, up to and including stop motion anime fights.
From the wild acting, the metal scrapes and industrial beats of the soundtrack, the cramped urban decay settings, to the gruesome metal body horror, it's Mr. Tsukamoto's Wild Ride and you may wish to get off.
Given it had the budget of approximately...a camera, with which to point and record things, the makeup effects are astonishing. There's some genuinely scary imagery in all the wires, pipes, bolts and one very gnarly drill bursting out of every which way. The film is The Thing, in metal. It's truly experimental and original, I've not seen a film like it before.
Now, the big question. Did I "enjoy" it? Fuck if I know, but I won't ever forget it.
It's a mere hour long, so I think any horror film should at least experience this once.
DAY 38
Spooky scary bonus film!
The Witch in the Window: Father-son bonding time, with a twist! Haunted house stories boast a versatility that allows for them to take on just about any darn thing and integrate well with the spooky stuff, and this film's emphasis on a father and son doing their best to reconnect over the objections of the current and possibly permanent tenant works well conceptually. Where this really shines, though, is in the execution, as writer-director Andy Mitton does a lot to make sure that the central relationship works all the way, having a great handle on the dialogue between the two that feels like genuine banter between two relatives, as well as getting very convincing performances from both Alex Draper and Charlie Tacker as Simon and Finn, respectively. But what is a haunted house movie without a proper haunted house? The rural Vermont setting is a nice touch, inviting and yet has the sense of being a bit too spacious, which reflects the interior of the house quite well. What will surprise folks is how much of the film, including the scares and the spookier parts, takes place during the day, meaning that the film has to rely more on an atmosphere of unease than being able to hide things in the shadows until they're ready to go boo, which the film handles with a lot of skill with its reliance on keeping all of the players in the same frame to emphasize the presence and tangibility of the situation. That Simon and Finn accept so quickly that they are being genuinely haunted is a rather efficient way to ensure that the film keeps moving at a strong clip without feeling much like it's going too fast in a way that spoils the atmosphere, aided by an unusually quiet approach that you don't really get in films about the paranormal these days. A lot of films like to sell themselves as a throwback to the older days of this particular genre, but this one does a great job of feeling like the genuine article with how assured it is of what it sets out to do, culminating in a third act of some terrific moments of creepiness and dread that results in a bittersweet epilogue with a little bit more of the "sweet" part than you might have anticipated. It's not a fancy film, but that's precisely the point and why it works so well. There's no doubt that Mitton worked his butt off to pull off such a swell and effective haunted house film, but with the results he was able to pull off here, he sure made it look easy.
Apostle: The Raid 2 is a hell of an act to follow up on, as Gareth Evans crafted not only one of the most improved sequels in the history of sequels, but he completely changed the game for action cinema. Could he do the same for horror? There's certainly a good argument to be made for his credentials sight unseen, with his excellent grasp on building a tense atmosphere and being unafraid to show just how brutally battered a human body can get before expiring. And with the backing of someone like Netflix, Evans could get the kind of budget he'd need for a larger scale project like the period piece he envisioned here, complete with a couple of well-known actors to give his vision a mainstream appeal that his Indonesian films would never have been able to while still keeping the same attitude toward broken bones and torn skin as we'd seen before. The final result then does wind up being a bit of a disappointment, though not from lack of trying. The first half certainly offers a lot of promise with its focus on the efforts of Thomas, played with a live wire intensity by Dan Stevens, as he infiltrates a strange Christian cult in search of his kidnapped sister, being held for ransom for mysterious reasons. The film takes on a kind of detective story vibe as Thomas has to use his wits to stay ahead of the leaders of the village while making his inquiries, all while doing a nice job of building towards some kind of very dark secret that the community is built upon. This doesn't last, though, as the film starts revealing more of itself to surprisingly goofy effect, as the central mystery turns out to be a rather ridiculous creation that doesn't seem to follow its own logic at times, and the story takes on a no prisoners vibe that feels like brutality for brutality's sake, barely coming up with excuses for why the leaders of the community begins to break down so rapidly to have friends and loved ones dying in messy ways. Subplots don't amount to much either, if not for not having Dan Stevens around, then certainly for just how cavalier Evans is with writing them to literal dead ends since he came up with other ways to resolving main plot details that didn't even need their presence in the first place. One has to wonder if Evans felt obligated by the freedom here to make a film with a beefy run time, though it winds up feeling 30 minutes too long and still runs into numerous third act problems with how rushed everything becomes when someone isn't being brutally killed. It's a shame that it becomes such a mess from a narrative standpoint, as Evans has lost little of his technical prowess, with relentless camerawork that keeps all of the action in focus and some killer audio choices for the soundtrack and the sound effects that create the proper mood for all the carnage to ensue. Perhaps it is because of the freedom that the issues arose, as there's the sense that there was no one around to tell him no and no cap on the money to force him to get creative with it, as we saw with his previous films in Indonesia, and it would certainly be the easiest explanation. I certainly don't dislike the film, as it does have a lot going for it and it clearly has something going in its first half that could have used more attention to craft a more worthy film of its potential, but it's hard to not consider this a stumble for a very talented creator.
Halloween brings Halloween, the final film of the epic marathon!
Spooky scary bonus film!
The Witch in the Window: Father-son bonding time, with a twist! Haunted house stories boast a versatility that allows for them to take on just about any darn thing and integrate well with the spooky stuff, and this film's emphasis on a father and son doing their best to reconnect over the objections of the current and possibly permanent tenant works well conceptually. Where this really shines, though, is in the execution, as writer-director Andy Mitton does a lot to make sure that the central relationship works all the way, having a great handle on the dialogue between the two that feels like genuine banter between two relatives, as well as getting very convincing performances from both Alex Draper and Charlie Tacker as Simon and Finn, respectively. But what is a haunted house movie without a proper haunted house? The rural Vermont setting is a nice touch, inviting and yet has the sense of being a bit too spacious, which reflects the interior of the house quite well. What will surprise folks is how much of the film, including the scares and the spookier parts, takes place during the day, meaning that the film has to rely more on an atmosphere of unease than being able to hide things in the shadows until they're ready to go boo, which the film handles with a lot of skill with its reliance on keeping all of the players in the same frame to emphasize the presence and tangibility of the situation. That Simon and Finn accept so quickly that they are being genuinely haunted is a rather efficient way to ensure that the film keeps moving at a strong clip without feeling much like it's going too fast in a way that spoils the atmosphere, aided by an unusually quiet approach that you don't really get in films about the paranormal these days. A lot of films like to sell themselves as a throwback to the older days of this particular genre, but this one does a great job of feeling like the genuine article with how assured it is of what it sets out to do, culminating in a third act of some terrific moments of creepiness and dread that results in a bittersweet epilogue with a little bit more of the "sweet" part than you might have anticipated. It's not a fancy film, but that's precisely the point and why it works so well. There's no doubt that Mitton worked his butt off to pull off such a swell and effective haunted house film, but with the results he was able to pull off here, he sure made it look easy.
Apostle: The Raid 2 is a hell of an act to follow up on, as Gareth Evans crafted not only one of the most improved sequels in the history of sequels, but he completely changed the game for action cinema. Could he do the same for horror? There's certainly a good argument to be made for his credentials sight unseen, with his excellent grasp on building a tense atmosphere and being unafraid to show just how brutally battered a human body can get before expiring. And with the backing of someone like Netflix, Evans could get the kind of budget he'd need for a larger scale project like the period piece he envisioned here, complete with a couple of well-known actors to give his vision a mainstream appeal that his Indonesian films would never have been able to while still keeping the same attitude toward broken bones and torn skin as we'd seen before. The final result then does wind up being a bit of a disappointment, though not from lack of trying. The first half certainly offers a lot of promise with its focus on the efforts of Thomas, played with a live wire intensity by Dan Stevens, as he infiltrates a strange Christian cult in search of his kidnapped sister, being held for ransom for mysterious reasons. The film takes on a kind of detective story vibe as Thomas has to use his wits to stay ahead of the leaders of the village while making his inquiries, all while doing a nice job of building towards some kind of very dark secret that the community is built upon. This doesn't last, though, as the film starts revealing more of itself to surprisingly goofy effect, as the central mystery turns out to be a rather ridiculous creation that doesn't seem to follow its own logic at times, and the story takes on a no prisoners vibe that feels like brutality for brutality's sake, barely coming up with excuses for why the leaders of the community begins to break down so rapidly to have friends and loved ones dying in messy ways. Subplots don't amount to much either, if not for not having Dan Stevens around, then certainly for just how cavalier Evans is with writing them to literal dead ends since he came up with other ways to resolving main plot details that didn't even need their presence in the first place. One has to wonder if Evans felt obligated by the freedom here to make a film with a beefy run time, though it winds up feeling 30 minutes too long and still runs into numerous third act problems with how rushed everything becomes when someone isn't being brutally killed. It's a shame that it becomes such a mess from a narrative standpoint, as Evans has lost little of his technical prowess, with relentless camerawork that keeps all of the action in focus and some killer audio choices for the soundtrack and the sound effects that create the proper mood for all the carnage to ensue. Perhaps it is because of the freedom that the issues arose, as there's the sense that there was no one around to tell him no and no cap on the money to force him to get creative with it, as we saw with his previous films in Indonesia, and it would certainly be the easiest explanation. I certainly don't dislike the film, as it does have a lot going for it and it clearly has something going in its first half that could have used more attention to craft a more worthy film of its potential, but it's hard to not consider this a stumble for a very talented creator.
Halloween brings Halloween, the final film of the epic marathon!
14. Apostle (2018)
15. It Follows (2015)
A well made film overall, and course Disasterpeace did a very good job with the music.
A enjoyable period piece that falls kind of flat by the end. The sense of mystery and distrust is pretty good, but as the film was opening up to shit hitting the fan levels, it felt like it peaked a bit too early with the craziness, and the ending didn't feel as exciting as a result. Still, there is quite a bit of good, including some strong performances like Dan Stevens.
15. It Follows (2015)
Finally got around to this one, and man, what a great film that has a very interesting entity to deal with. A thing that will just keep coming at you for a kill, and changing into different forms, including someone close to you, is just downright creepy. While not that scary of a film, it has a really nice sense of dread, as Jay must deal with something like that throughout. I also enjoy how supportive and pretty likable her friends are too in spite of not really knowing that it was there till the beach scene.
A well made film overall, and course Disasterpeace did a very good job with the music.
#30 - The Void
Kinda like if films such as The Thing and Event Horizon were mashed together and then sprinkled with a little Silent Hill. I love me some practical effects and The Void delivers exceptionally well in that department, the creature design in this film is awesome. Things can get a bit confusing and weird and I can see that bothering some viewers, but I didn't mind that much. Loved it, glad I watched this.
Also kept wondering why the doctor seemed so familiar, then I learned he's Windom Earle from Twin Peaks. Neat.
Kinda like if films such as The Thing and Event Horizon were mashed together and then sprinkled with a little Silent Hill. I love me some practical effects and The Void delivers exceptionally well in that department, the creature design in this film is awesome. Things can get a bit confusing and weird and I can see that bothering some viewers, but I didn't mind that much. Loved it, glad I watched this.
Also kept wondering why the doctor seemed so familiar, then I learned he's Windom Earle from Twin Peaks. Neat.
I know, I should just go with it, right?
I suppose it is a bit daft to complain about realism in a supernatural horror movie. If I'm fine with demonic entities hacking baby monitors, I should be fine with someone using a phone unrealistically. But I just can't help myself.
My problem with Apostle is that the horror element feels tacked on. The whole premise of the story with the brother trying to free his sister from a cult is great and if you completely removed the supernatural aspect, it would'nt change a thing.
THE FINAL DAY
I have 2 movies to watch and 3 thingies to write up. Have the day off so it should be no problemo.
I have 2 movies to watch and 3 thingies to write up. Have the day off so it should be no problemo.
October 29, 2018
World War Z
Synopsis: Gerry, a retired United Nations employee, leaves the UN to spend more time with his family. As they drive around Philadelphia, panic ensues and people all over start running and explosions go off. The zombie apocalypse begins and Gerry finds a way to ensure the safety of his family by agreeing to assist the UN with uncovering the origin of the zombie outbreak.
Review: This zombie movie was intense. The speed and veracity at which the zombies aggressively hunted their victims here was terrifying. Even so much as to use themselves as ladders and gave other zombies a chance to climb over them to reach areas they could not normally. There were several scenes involving this that I will never forget. Brad Pitt as Gerry was great and the action was non-stop the moment it started. Big set pieces and the countless numbers of zombies both CG and real were the stars however. Everything that involved them was terrifying and fun to watch at the same time. Although the movie itself had an ending, I couldn't help feel that there should have been a sequel.
- 7/10
World War Z
Synopsis: Gerry, a retired United Nations employee, leaves the UN to spend more time with his family. As they drive around Philadelphia, panic ensues and people all over start running and explosions go off. The zombie apocalypse begins and Gerry finds a way to ensure the safety of his family by agreeing to assist the UN with uncovering the origin of the zombie outbreak.
Review: This zombie movie was intense. The speed and veracity at which the zombies aggressively hunted their victims here was terrifying. Even so much as to use themselves as ladders and gave other zombies a chance to climb over them to reach areas they could not normally. There were several scenes involving this that I will never forget. Brad Pitt as Gerry was great and the action was non-stop the moment it started. Big set pieces and the countless numbers of zombies both CG and real were the stars however. Everything that involved them was terrifying and fun to watch at the same time. Although the movie itself had an ending, I couldn't help feel that there should have been a sequel.
- 7/10
October 30, 2018
Train To Busan
Synopsis: A workaholic father who's neglected his daughter, decides to fulfill her birthday wish of being with her mother by accompanying her on a train to Busan. Unfortunately the trip turns hectic, chaotic and violent as the zombie apocalypse destroys everything both inside and outside of the train.
Review: If you want to watch something that will scare you, frighten you or terrify you, watch this. If you want to watch something that will entertain you, make you laugh or make you cry, watch this. If you want to watch something that you will get lost in, that will keep you on the edge of you seat or has characters that you will like, love, hate or loathe, watch this. If you want to watch something that will tug at your heart, that will keep you watching from beginning to end or something that will sweep you off your feet for the entire length of its story, watch this. If you want to watch a zombie movie done right, a scary movie done right or just a movie done right, watch this. In my opinion, this is the greatest zombie movie ever made. Do yourself a favor and just watch this.
-100/10
Train To Busan
Synopsis: A workaholic father who's neglected his daughter, decides to fulfill her birthday wish of being with her mother by accompanying her on a train to Busan. Unfortunately the trip turns hectic, chaotic and violent as the zombie apocalypse destroys everything both inside and outside of the train.
Review: If you want to watch something that will scare you, frighten you or terrify you, watch this. If you want to watch something that will entertain you, make you laugh or make you cry, watch this. If you want to watch something that you will get lost in, that will keep you on the edge of you seat or has characters that you will like, love, hate or loathe, watch this. If you want to watch something that will tug at your heart, that will keep you watching from beginning to end or something that will sweep you off your feet for the entire length of its story, watch this. If you want to watch a zombie movie done right, a scary movie done right or just a movie done right, watch this. In my opinion, this is the greatest zombie movie ever made. Do yourself a favor and just watch this.
-100/10
AFAIK, there will be one! David Fincher is attached, but the production has been postponed a few times.
OP
OP
Satanic Panic Weekdays
22) The Masque of the Red Death (1964) (Oct 22)
I've seen a handful of Roger Corman produced movies, but I believe this is the first I've seen that he's fully directed. I gotta say, I was expecting something more cheap and tacky than what I got.
Vincent Price plays a cruel prince who uses his power to toy with those under him. Upon discovering a causality of the "Red Death" plague in a village, he orders it burnt to the ground and takes refuge in his castle where he continues his evil games.
This is a friggin' beautiful movie. The sets, costumes and lighting just explode with colour and everyone has the most velvety, theatrical voices. The whole thing almost feels like a really robust stage play.
Overall, there isn't much here that will surprise modern viewers, but I bet it was pretty shocking in 1964 and I had a great time with it.
Recommended. 3.5 / 5
23) The Devil Rides Out (1968) (Oct 23)
Upon a reunion, a group of friends discover one of theirs has been chosen for conversion by a Satanic cult and race to save him before it's too late.
Man, I don't think I've ever seen a cast of characters this dedicated to their goals. These people are nuts! Everything moves along at a brisk pace because of that and there's tons of energy, especially from Christopher Lee who plays a hilariously proper gentleman who's an incredibly quick study of the Satanic arts.
Unfortunately, this one relies a bit too much on special effects than it probably should have in 1968. They've aged poorly and come off very hokey. Age really ravaged this one. I didn't care for the ending either as it's all just too convenient and wraps up too neatly.
The Devil Rides Out certainly isn't a bad movie and is one of the more highbrow Hammer films I've seen, but it in the end it really didn't grab onto me. That U.S. poster art is fucking badass though.
Average. 2.5 / 5
24) Daughters of Satan (1972) (Oct 24)
Magnum, P.I. is a museum curator living in the Philippines with his wife, Chris. While visiting an antique shop to appraise an item, he discovers a painting depicting 3 witches and their dog being burned at the stake. Fascinated with the painting, he brings it home to his wife who has a strange reaction to its presence.
Daughters of Satan feels like one of those movies where they did the best with what they had, but what they had wasn't much. Magnum, P.I. does his best, but all the magnificent moustaches in the world couldn't save this low budget, boring slog.
Watch the scene where Magnum, P.I.'s stunt double clumsily jumps over a horse, then turn it off.
Skip it. 1 / 5
25) Evilspeak (1981) (Oct 25)
Revenge of the Nerds, Satanic style. Military cadet Stanley Coopersmith doesn't fit in and is constantly bullied at military school. Upon discovering a sealed off room full of black magic relics under the school's chapel, Coopersmith uses his Apple II computer to summon Satanic powers to take revenge on his tormentors. And you thought your smartphone was handy!
Evilspeak is pure 80s cheese that takes its time getting to the good stuff. The first kill doesn't happen until after the 50 minute mark, so you're forced to sit though an agonizing amount of Coopersmith being miserable, which is exacerbated by the fact that they completely fail to make him feel sympathetic. Clint Howard's portrayal of the character is pretty unlikable and his main redeeming factor is that the majority of the other characters are even worse. Congratulations Coopersmith, you win by default! The final act carnage is brief, but pretty great and it does have a nice over-the-top (but repetitive) score so there is some fun to be had. It would probably make a good drinking game movie if you took a shot every time someone says "Coopersmith". Just don't blame me when you get alcohol poisoning.
Watchable, but nothing you need to go out of your way for. 2 / 5
26) The Devil's Candy (2015) (Oct 26)
A struggling painter and his family purchase their first house, thanks to the lowered price due to the previous residents tragic deaths inside. Weird stuff starts happening, yadda, yadda, yadda. I know. Same shit, different coat of paint, right?
Well, The Devil's Candy thankfully is a little more original than the typical, boring haunted house shit you've seen a million times before. Instead of relying on BANGING ON WALLS and SCARY FACES this one relies on the creepiness of an unknown Satanic force driving the characters. Director Sean Byrne injects it with enough energy and style overcome the shortcomings in the premise and shit gets pretty dark. I wouldn't have minded if a little more time was spent on certain things to flesh them out a bit, especially the ending. Another 10-15 minutes added to the short runtime wouldn't have hurt, in my opinion.
Overall, a very enjoyable movie. Bryne is two for two so far in my book. Can't wait for number three.
Recommended. 3.5 / 5
Bonus 03) The Amityville Horror (1979) (Oct 26) (rewatch)
Man, that house was kind of a dick, huh?
As my tribute to the late Margot Kidder I decided to revisit everyone's favourite haunted house.
I'm not generally a big fan of haunted house/paranormal stuff, but I appreciate how this focused more on the house being an asshole rather than SCARY DEMON FACE IN THE SHADOWS over and over again. They really skim over a lot of what the real Lutzes claimed happened, using those events for brief scares here and there while spending the majority of the runtime on George's declining health and sanity. Overall, it's a decent attempt with some good performances and even though it won't exactly keep you up at night, I much prefer this style over modern LOUD NOISES paranormal movies.
The best part is when the house decides to pick pocket Kathy's brother before his wedding and steals the money needed to pay the caterer. What the hell does a house need $1,500 for? Does it have gambling debts or something? Maybe I'll find out in the sequels.
Average.
22) The Masque of the Red Death (1964) (Oct 22)
I've seen a handful of Roger Corman produced movies, but I believe this is the first I've seen that he's fully directed. I gotta say, I was expecting something more cheap and tacky than what I got.
Vincent Price plays a cruel prince who uses his power to toy with those under him. Upon discovering a causality of the "Red Death" plague in a village, he orders it burnt to the ground and takes refuge in his castle where he continues his evil games.
This is a friggin' beautiful movie. The sets, costumes and lighting just explode with colour and everyone has the most velvety, theatrical voices. The whole thing almost feels like a really robust stage play.
Overall, there isn't much here that will surprise modern viewers, but I bet it was pretty shocking in 1964 and I had a great time with it.
Recommended. 3.5 / 5
23) The Devil Rides Out (1968) (Oct 23)
Upon a reunion, a group of friends discover one of theirs has been chosen for conversion by a Satanic cult and race to save him before it's too late.
Man, I don't think I've ever seen a cast of characters this dedicated to their goals. These people are nuts! Everything moves along at a brisk pace because of that and there's tons of energy, especially from Christopher Lee who plays a hilariously proper gentleman who's an incredibly quick study of the Satanic arts.
Unfortunately, this one relies a bit too much on special effects than it probably should have in 1968. They've aged poorly and come off very hokey. Age really ravaged this one. I didn't care for the ending either as it's all just too convenient and wraps up too neatly.
The Devil Rides Out certainly isn't a bad movie and is one of the more highbrow Hammer films I've seen, but it in the end it really didn't grab onto me. That U.S. poster art is fucking badass though.
Average. 2.5 / 5
24) Daughters of Satan (1972) (Oct 24)
Magnum, P.I. is a museum curator living in the Philippines with his wife, Chris. While visiting an antique shop to appraise an item, he discovers a painting depicting 3 witches and their dog being burned at the stake. Fascinated with the painting, he brings it home to his wife who has a strange reaction to its presence.
Daughters of Satan feels like one of those movies where they did the best with what they had, but what they had wasn't much. Magnum, P.I. does his best, but all the magnificent moustaches in the world couldn't save this low budget, boring slog.
Watch the scene where Magnum, P.I.'s stunt double clumsily jumps over a horse, then turn it off.
Skip it. 1 / 5
25) Evilspeak (1981) (Oct 25)
Revenge of the Nerds, Satanic style. Military cadet Stanley Coopersmith doesn't fit in and is constantly bullied at military school. Upon discovering a sealed off room full of black magic relics under the school's chapel, Coopersmith uses his Apple II computer to summon Satanic powers to take revenge on his tormentors. And you thought your smartphone was handy!
Evilspeak is pure 80s cheese that takes its time getting to the good stuff. The first kill doesn't happen until after the 50 minute mark, so you're forced to sit though an agonizing amount of Coopersmith being miserable, which is exacerbated by the fact that they completely fail to make him feel sympathetic. Clint Howard's portrayal of the character is pretty unlikable and his main redeeming factor is that the majority of the other characters are even worse. Congratulations Coopersmith, you win by default! The final act carnage is brief, but pretty great and it does have a nice over-the-top (but repetitive) score so there is some fun to be had. It would probably make a good drinking game movie if you took a shot every time someone says "Coopersmith". Just don't blame me when you get alcohol poisoning.
Watchable, but nothing you need to go out of your way for. 2 / 5
26) The Devil's Candy (2015) (Oct 26)
A struggling painter and his family purchase their first house, thanks to the lowered price due to the previous residents tragic deaths inside. Weird stuff starts happening, yadda, yadda, yadda. I know. Same shit, different coat of paint, right?
Well, The Devil's Candy thankfully is a little more original than the typical, boring haunted house shit you've seen a million times before. Instead of relying on BANGING ON WALLS and SCARY FACES this one relies on the creepiness of an unknown Satanic force driving the characters. Director Sean Byrne injects it with enough energy and style overcome the shortcomings in the premise and shit gets pretty dark. I wouldn't have minded if a little more time was spent on certain things to flesh them out a bit, especially the ending. Another 10-15 minutes added to the short runtime wouldn't have hurt, in my opinion.
Overall, a very enjoyable movie. Bryne is two for two so far in my book. Can't wait for number three.
Recommended. 3.5 / 5
Bonus 03) The Amityville Horror (1979) (Oct 26) (rewatch)
Man, that house was kind of a dick, huh?
As my tribute to the late Margot Kidder I decided to revisit everyone's favourite haunted house.
I'm not generally a big fan of haunted house/paranormal stuff, but I appreciate how this focused more on the house being an asshole rather than SCARY DEMON FACE IN THE SHADOWS over and over again. They really skim over a lot of what the real Lutzes claimed happened, using those events for brief scares here and there while spending the majority of the runtime on George's declining health and sanity. Overall, it's a decent attempt with some good performances and even though it won't exactly keep you up at night, I much prefer this style over modern LOUD NOISES paranormal movies.
The best part is when the house decides to pick pocket Kathy's brother before his wedding and steals the money needed to pay the caterer. What the hell does a house need $1,500 for? Does it have gambling debts or something? Maybe I'll find out in the sequels.
Average.
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Oh cool! Thanks for letting me know! I will be keeping tabs on this.
Yeah, it is curious how the supernatural stuff didn't really seem to fit with the rest of the film. The popular point of comparison is The Wicker Man, which smartly kept the supernatural elements to entirely unseen forces and, fitting with the film's themes, something that you had to take on faith. Here, the film is seems pretty proud of it not cheating anyone out of a supernatural presence, but as I mentioned, it's not impressive from a visual standpoint and it doesn't seem to follow much of a logic on what it can and can't do.
Also, it could just be me, but I feel like the whole starving issue felt like it could have partially averted if the community started taking up fishing.
#29 - Oculus (2013)
Every time I saw the title of this movie I assumed it was a cheap jumpscare VR (Oculus. . .Rift) horror, which is why I never looked into it (yes, you can laugh at me). Luckily it is something completely different. In its simplest form, it is a movie about a haunted mirror, which potentially sounds really cheesy but the way the movie plays with different realities/timelines in the narrative is definitely an interesting take on the subject. While well directed by Flanagan, being quite original and having a handful of really disturbing scenes, Oculus did lack that extra oomph to take it up a notch and make it great. 6/10
Good thing I killed it in the beginning otherwise I wouldn't have finished. Barely scraping in to finish on the 31st. Will take a victory lap this weekend with Evil Dead 2, Boogiepop Phantom, Hellsing Ultimate, and maybe Blade. Saving all the best for last unfortunately means this month was a bunch of filler but ultimately not so terrible.
29. Apostle
Started a bit slow but I have to say, having struggled to force myself through half of The Night Comes For Us over the course of like three tries it is completely evident how much better this director can put a film together. The Raid movies were definitely not flukes. There is not much action in this film but what little there is looks great and is pretty tense.
As for the movie itself, not so scary but definitely a bit unsettling with some good imagery. I had to restart it a couple times because Dark Souls switch kept drawing my attention yet the midway point kept drawing me back to the movie and making me want to restart. Finally I put the switch aside and watched the whole thing. Nit brilliant but not sad I put the time in.
3/5
30. Jinroh Game: Lovers
This series is kind of a comfort food for me. I like the second one quite a bit but the others are all kind of whatever with some hooks that appeal to me because I've spent years playing forum mafia and live werewolf games. This is the 5th entry in the series I believe and it is about as expected.
A group of high school kids have been kidnapped and put in an abandoned school. They have to play Werewolf for real or die. The losers die, while the winners will be given about one million dollars.
I think it's not so hard to guess about how it goes. Highlights here were that they brought back my favorite part of the movies. In the third and fourth entries, they would choose who to kill and mechanical necklaces would do the dirty work. This is no longer the case, it's back to killing each other. This means followed by each vote, there is an emotional breakdown and brawl enacting the decision which… is satisfying I guess? It's at least a nice counterpoint to the strategizing and suspicion. They seem to have increased the gore factor a bit but that might actually detract.
Overall, enjoyable enough. As title suggests, the MC is a Lover, meaning their life is tied to one other player in the game and they need to figure out how to get both of them to survive.
3/5
31. Jinroh Game: Madland
Maybe the second most entertaining I've seen, but probably the most problematic. A lot of homophobia and abuse of power that could turn people off but you aren't supposed to like them and it reflects how the situation could go down.
What is the situation? Rules I'm not really familiar with which is maybe why this was more interesting for me. One Werewolf, one doctor, one seer, 7 madmen. The madmen are teamed with the Werewolf, meaning everyone is actually hunting the two villagers. Naturally mc is a villager. Game opens with a massclaim and two conflicting Werewolf claims. Given the Werewolf chooses who dies at night and influences everyone else's win condition, they take a ton of social power, hence the abuse that follows.
Overall I liked it. Minus a point for problematic stuff though.
3/5
1. Ju On 4/5
2. Ju On 2 3/5
3. Hellraiser 4/5
4. Hellraiser 2 3/5
5. Hellraiser 3 2/5
6. Cabin in the Woods 1/5
7. House 3/5
8. Corpse Party 2/5
9. Corpse Party 2 2/5
10. Parasyte 3/5
11. Parasyte pt. 2 3/5
12. Descent 4/5
13. Split 3/5
14. Train to Busan or 新感染 3/5
15. Cabin Fever 2/5
16. Teketeke 2/5
17. Teketeke 2 2/5
18. Dead Silence 1/5
19. Devil 2/5
20. Malevolent 2/5
21. Torihada 3/5
22. Shaun of the Dead 4/5
23. Death Becomes Her 3/5
24. Cold Fish 3/5
25. Kidan: Piece of Darkness 3/5
26. IT (2017) 3/5
27. One Take of the Dead 3/5
28. Don't Breathe 2/5
29. Apostle
Started a bit slow but I have to say, having struggled to force myself through half of The Night Comes For Us over the course of like three tries it is completely evident how much better this director can put a film together. The Raid movies were definitely not flukes. There is not much action in this film but what little there is looks great and is pretty tense.
As for the movie itself, not so scary but definitely a bit unsettling with some good imagery. I had to restart it a couple times because Dark Souls switch kept drawing my attention yet the midway point kept drawing me back to the movie and making me want to restart. Finally I put the switch aside and watched the whole thing. Nit brilliant but not sad I put the time in.
3/5
30. Jinroh Game: Lovers
This series is kind of a comfort food for me. I like the second one quite a bit but the others are all kind of whatever with some hooks that appeal to me because I've spent years playing forum mafia and live werewolf games. This is the 5th entry in the series I believe and it is about as expected.
A group of high school kids have been kidnapped and put in an abandoned school. They have to play Werewolf for real or die. The losers die, while the winners will be given about one million dollars.
I think it's not so hard to guess about how it goes. Highlights here were that they brought back my favorite part of the movies. In the third and fourth entries, they would choose who to kill and mechanical necklaces would do the dirty work. This is no longer the case, it's back to killing each other. This means followed by each vote, there is an emotional breakdown and brawl enacting the decision which… is satisfying I guess? It's at least a nice counterpoint to the strategizing and suspicion. They seem to have increased the gore factor a bit but that might actually detract.
Overall, enjoyable enough. As title suggests, the MC is a Lover, meaning their life is tied to one other player in the game and they need to figure out how to get both of them to survive.
3/5
31. Jinroh Game: Madland
Maybe the second most entertaining I've seen, but probably the most problematic. A lot of homophobia and abuse of power that could turn people off but you aren't supposed to like them and it reflects how the situation could go down.
What is the situation? Rules I'm not really familiar with which is maybe why this was more interesting for me. One Werewolf, one doctor, one seer, 7 madmen. The madmen are teamed with the Werewolf, meaning everyone is actually hunting the two villagers. Naturally mc is a villager. Game opens with a massclaim and two conflicting Werewolf claims. Given the Werewolf chooses who dies at night and influences everyone else's win condition, they take a ton of social power, hence the abuse that follows.
Overall I liked it. Minus a point for problematic stuff though.
3/5
1. Ju On 4/5
2. Ju On 2 3/5
3. Hellraiser 4/5
4. Hellraiser 2 3/5
5. Hellraiser 3 2/5
6. Cabin in the Woods 1/5
7. House 3/5
8. Corpse Party 2/5
9. Corpse Party 2 2/5
10. Parasyte 3/5
11. Parasyte pt. 2 3/5
12. Descent 4/5
13. Split 3/5
14. Train to Busan or 新感染 3/5
15. Cabin Fever 2/5
16. Teketeke 2/5
17. Teketeke 2 2/5
18. Dead Silence 1/5
19. Devil 2/5
20. Malevolent 2/5
21. Torihada 3/5
22. Shaun of the Dead 4/5
23. Death Becomes Her 3/5
24. Cold Fish 3/5
25. Kidan: Piece of Darkness 3/5
26. IT (2017) 3/5
27. One Take of the Dead 3/5
28. Don't Breathe 2/5
Sorry, been slow at getting back in here. Difficult question to answer. Between the movie and the series, you've got the idea. But if it's good enough to watch twice, it is probably worth reading. While I like Curry's performance and the movie was serviceable in nods to the reader, the book is head and shoulders above imo. It's my favorite thing King has written for many reasons, but partially is just how well his writing style fits the book. Things that can seem out of place or extraneous in other works just fit in perfectly, from goofiness to mysticism. Also, while it's a thousand pages, I don't think it feels bloated and while it's hard to argue everything was really necessary (I'm sure you've heard of at least one specific scene that always baffled everyone), it feels like it really took the time it needed.
#30 - The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015)
Definitely the kind of horror that ticks all the boxes I like and appreciate. It is meticulously crafted slow burning, mysterious and dramatic, has great character building and bursts of skin-crawling violence. The unsettling tension, original narrative, deep atmospheric musical score and outstanding performances (especially Kiernan Shipka is amazing) make it even better. This also has me slightly hyped for Oz Perkins other movie, despite it having rather mixed reactions in this thread. 8/10
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Didn't watch a whole lot. Couldn't find that many interesting horror movies on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. There are some movies I started, but ended up getting bored of them so I stopped (didn't count them).
1) Night of the Living Dead - Classic horror movie. I haven't watched it in years and it still holds up.
2) Child's Play - Guilty pleasure of mine. I have to watch this yearly.
3) Howling 2: Your Sister is a Werewolf - A so-bad-its-good movie and I loved it. Plot made no sense.
4) Jigsaw - Honestly, better than I was expecting.
5) The Fly ('86) - Love this movie. The special effects are well done.
6) Reanimator - I stumbled across this movie a few years back for this Halloween marathon and I loved it. One of those yearly traditions I have to do.
7) The Evil in Us - Sub-par horror movie.
8) Let the Right One In - Finally got around to watching this and it is pretty great.
9) Trolls 2 - One of those movies I keep reading about to watch, but never got around to see since I didn't find Trolls 1 to be all that great, but this was downright amazing for all the wrong reasons.
10) Rec - Classic for me.
1) Night of the Living Dead - Classic horror movie. I haven't watched it in years and it still holds up.
2) Child's Play - Guilty pleasure of mine. I have to watch this yearly.
3) Howling 2: Your Sister is a Werewolf - A so-bad-its-good movie and I loved it. Plot made no sense.
4) Jigsaw - Honestly, better than I was expecting.
5) The Fly ('86) - Love this movie. The special effects are well done.
6) Reanimator - I stumbled across this movie a few years back for this Halloween marathon and I loved it. One of those yearly traditions I have to do.
7) The Evil in Us - Sub-par horror movie.
8) Let the Right One In - Finally got around to watching this and it is pretty great.
9) Trolls 2 - One of those movies I keep reading about to watch, but never got around to see since I didn't find Trolls 1 to be all that great, but this was downright amazing for all the wrong reasons.
10) Rec - Classic for me.
Dracula (1931, Spanish version)
I've always been very curious about this, the story behind the production is so interesting to me: rather than dub the Bela Lugosi Dracula film into Spanish, Universal opted to shoot a separate second Dracula film - using the same script and same sets as Lugosi's - but with a Spanish-language cast and crew. The result was the exact same film that Todd Browning made with Lugosi, but in Spanish...and actually better. The story goes, the Browning/Lugosi film shot during the day, so the Spanish crew could see how the first version was being done, and then improve on it when they shot their material at night.
And this movie is definitely an improvement on the first. I am not really a fan of the Lugosi/Browning film -- outside of the first 15-20 minutes I find it really boring, partly because of how flat the whole thing plays and how wooden everyone but Lugosi sounds. But in this one, the camerawork is noticeably more dynamic (the camera actually moves around a lot, while Browning shoots his version like a silent film) and the acting among the supporting cast is much better and livelier than the English version. With two (big) exceptions: Carlos Villarías does a fine job playing Dracula for the most part and is particularly good in some moments, but he's no Lugosi (which wouldn't be an issue if he weren't actively imitating Lugosi in an imitation of Lugosi's film) and oftentimes he has this distracting constipated look on his face. The other is Pablo Alvarez Rubio, whose Renfield is just a little too fucking insane. Again, there are some moments where he plays this well (I'm thinking especially of
) but more often than not it's just way too over the top.
While this movie didn't make me any more of a Dracula fan -- I think I just find the core story boring, and it only really works for me when the movie drastically revamps the source material, like Hammer's Horror of Dracula did -- I do agree that this is a better version than the English-language one. While Dracula himself and Renfield are perhaps not as good as the originals, the rest of the cast and the filmmaking itself are superior.
6/10
I also caught a screening of Psycho the other night, with a live orchestra scoring the film as it played. This is still one of my favorite horror films of all time, and seeing it with a live score made for a cool experience -- although sometimes I forgot they were even there, I was so engrossed in the actual movie.
(for the record: Psycho remains a 10/10 for me)
I've always been very curious about this, the story behind the production is so interesting to me: rather than dub the Bela Lugosi Dracula film into Spanish, Universal opted to shoot a separate second Dracula film - using the same script and same sets as Lugosi's - but with a Spanish-language cast and crew. The result was the exact same film that Todd Browning made with Lugosi, but in Spanish...and actually better. The story goes, the Browning/Lugosi film shot during the day, so the Spanish crew could see how the first version was being done, and then improve on it when they shot their material at night.
And this movie is definitely an improvement on the first. I am not really a fan of the Lugosi/Browning film -- outside of the first 15-20 minutes I find it really boring, partly because of how flat the whole thing plays and how wooden everyone but Lugosi sounds. But in this one, the camerawork is noticeably more dynamic (the camera actually moves around a lot, while Browning shoots his version like a silent film) and the acting among the supporting cast is much better and livelier than the English version. With two (big) exceptions: Carlos Villarías does a fine job playing Dracula for the most part and is particularly good in some moments, but he's no Lugosi (which wouldn't be an issue if he weren't actively imitating Lugosi in an imitation of Lugosi's film) and oftentimes he has this distracting constipated look on his face. The other is Pablo Alvarez Rubio, whose Renfield is just a little too fucking insane. Again, there are some moments where he plays this well (I'm thinking especially of
his death scene, when Dracula strangles him and throws him off the staircase
While this movie didn't make me any more of a Dracula fan -- I think I just find the core story boring, and it only really works for me when the movie drastically revamps the source material, like Hammer's Horror of Dracula did -- I do agree that this is a better version than the English-language one. While Dracula himself and Renfield are perhaps not as good as the originals, the rest of the cast and the filmmaking itself are superior.
6/10
I also caught a screening of Psycho the other night, with a live orchestra scoring the film as it played. This is still one of my favorite horror films of all time, and seeing it with a live score made for a cool experience -- although sometimes I forgot they were even there, I was so engrossed in the actual movie.
(for the record: Psycho remains a 10/10 for me)
1. The Mummy (1932) (rewatch)
2. Extraordinary Tales (2013)
3. Justice League Dark (2017)
4. The Wicker Man (1973) (rewatch)
5. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956)
7. It (2017)
8. mother! (2017)
9. The Void (2016)
10. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
11. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
12. The Mummy (1999)
13. Constantine (2005)
14. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
15. The Omen (1976)
16. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
17. Corpse Bride (2005)
18. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
19. Phenomena (1985)
20. Paranormal Activity (2007)
21. Black Sabbath (1963)
22. Carrie (1976)
23. Evil Dead II (1987) (rewatch)
24. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
25. Alien: Covenant (2017)
26. Eraserhead (1977) (rewatch)
27. Scanners (1981) (rewatch)
28. Tenebre (1982)
29. The Conjuring (2013)
30. The Invisible Man (1933) (rewatch)
31. House (1977) (rewatch)
I'm closing this October with this highly visually-arresting, borderline-comedy horror film. There's not much else like it.
2. Extraordinary Tales (2013)
3. Justice League Dark (2017)
4. The Wicker Man (1973) (rewatch)
5. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956)
7. It (2017)
8. mother! (2017)
9. The Void (2016)
10. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
11. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
12. The Mummy (1999)
13. Constantine (2005)
14. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
15. The Omen (1976)
16. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
17. Corpse Bride (2005)
18. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
19. Phenomena (1985)
20. Paranormal Activity (2007)
21. Black Sabbath (1963)
22. Carrie (1976)
23. Evil Dead II (1987) (rewatch)
24. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
25. Alien: Covenant (2017)
26. Eraserhead (1977) (rewatch)
27. Scanners (1981) (rewatch)
28. Tenebre (1982)
29. The Conjuring (2013)
30. The Invisible Man (1933) (rewatch)
31. House (1977) (rewatch)
I'm closing this October with this highly visually-arresting, borderline-comedy horror film. There's not much else like it.
Rounding out my month with a few last movies (original post of the others was here)
24 The Third Eye (Netflix)
After their parents suddenly die in a car crash, two girls move back into their childhood home. Problem is, the younger sister grew up being able to see dead people, and the house terrifies her. It wasn't very good, but I liked the dynamic between the sisters.
25 Murder Party (Netflix)
A guy is bored one Halloween and finds an invitation on the ground inviting the finder to a murder party. Thinking it was a normal party he dresses up and goes, but it's a few bored art students looking for a new artistic inspiration by killing a random person. Super cheaply made and held up by the writing, I rather enjoyed this. Looking it up afterwards, it was the first movie by the guy behind Blue Ruin and Green Room, which was a nice surprise.
26 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (amazon)
After a surgeon keeps an eye on the son of a botched job, the son turns the tables: thinking that the surgeon purposefully killed his father, he gives the surgeon the choice of choosing which family member to kill or they will all die. It's a really cool concept that is marred by completely wooden acting by everyone involved and a lot of super awkward dialogue.
27 Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Film & 40s)(hulu)
Somehow I'd never seen this, and it was wonderfully stupid. Lots of fun moments with the klowns invading the town, this was super enjoyable to watch and laugh.
28 The Thing (Film & 40s) (blu ray)
My favorite horror movie and one of my favorite movies in general, so watching it with the Giant Bomb East crew talking over it was perfect for me. This was wonderful.
29 The Return of the Living Dead (Film & 40s)(amazon)
Similar to Killer Klowns, this knows what it is and revels in it. A ton of fun with the GBE crew talking.
30 Beyond Re-Animator (tubitv)
The continuing adventures of Herbert West, the Re-Animator. His partner from the first two movies ratted him out to the authorities, so West has spent years in prison. When a doctor arrives with interest in West's work, the experiments begin again. Combs is so good in the role, chewing up every scene. Not as good overall as I'd like, but certainly worth the watch as a fan of the concept and Combs. Having a warden that is a big fan of capital punishment is a nice addition to this kind of movie. My only real complaint is having to watch it on Tubitv: nice to have it available, but really not used to commercials mid-fucking-movie, it's why I pay for no-commercial Hulu.
31 The Eye (shudder)
Rounding out the month is The Eye. I watched a bit before getting to bed last night and I'm about to finish it, so I'll update this post afterwards.
This is my list as a whole, and honestly it's probably one of the better, most consistently-decent Shocktobers that I've ever done (god I've watched some stinkers before). Not everything was good, but on average this was a very solid year.
1 Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (Shudder)
2 Jacob's Ladder (hulu)
3 Hell Fest (theater)
4 Terrifier (netflix)
5 The Host (Shudder)
6 The Autopsy of Jane Doe (showtime)
7 Resolution (shudder)
8 The Endless (netflix)
9 Seven in Heaven (netflix)
10 Mandy (VOD)
11 Apostle (netflix)
12 Shutter (netflix)
13 Creep 2 (netflix)
14 All Hallows Eve (hoopla)
15 Psycho (shudder)
16 Halloween (2018) (theater)
17 Summer of 84 (shudder)
18 Baskin (hulu)
19 Suspiria (original) (hoopla)
20 Bone Tomahawk (amazon)
21 Timecrimes (shudder)
22 The Beyond (shudder)
23 Bride of Re-Animator (amazon)
24 The Third Eye (Netflix)
25 Murder Party (Netflix)
26 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (amazon)
27 Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Film & 40s)(hulu)
28 The Thing (Film & 40s) (blu ray)
29 The Return of the Living Dead (Film & 40s)(amazon)
30 Beyond Re-Animator (tubitv)
31 The Eye (shudder)
24 The Third Eye (Netflix)
After their parents suddenly die in a car crash, two girls move back into their childhood home. Problem is, the younger sister grew up being able to see dead people, and the house terrifies her. It wasn't very good, but I liked the dynamic between the sisters.
25 Murder Party (Netflix)
A guy is bored one Halloween and finds an invitation on the ground inviting the finder to a murder party. Thinking it was a normal party he dresses up and goes, but it's a few bored art students looking for a new artistic inspiration by killing a random person. Super cheaply made and held up by the writing, I rather enjoyed this. Looking it up afterwards, it was the first movie by the guy behind Blue Ruin and Green Room, which was a nice surprise.
26 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (amazon)
After a surgeon keeps an eye on the son of a botched job, the son turns the tables: thinking that the surgeon purposefully killed his father, he gives the surgeon the choice of choosing which family member to kill or they will all die. It's a really cool concept that is marred by completely wooden acting by everyone involved and a lot of super awkward dialogue.
27 Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Film & 40s)(hulu)
Somehow I'd never seen this, and it was wonderfully stupid. Lots of fun moments with the klowns invading the town, this was super enjoyable to watch and laugh.
28 The Thing (Film & 40s) (blu ray)
My favorite horror movie and one of my favorite movies in general, so watching it with the Giant Bomb East crew talking over it was perfect for me. This was wonderful.
29 The Return of the Living Dead (Film & 40s)(amazon)
Similar to Killer Klowns, this knows what it is and revels in it. A ton of fun with the GBE crew talking.
30 Beyond Re-Animator (tubitv)
The continuing adventures of Herbert West, the Re-Animator. His partner from the first two movies ratted him out to the authorities, so West has spent years in prison. When a doctor arrives with interest in West's work, the experiments begin again. Combs is so good in the role, chewing up every scene. Not as good overall as I'd like, but certainly worth the watch as a fan of the concept and Combs. Having a warden that is a big fan of capital punishment is a nice addition to this kind of movie. My only real complaint is having to watch it on Tubitv: nice to have it available, but really not used to commercials mid-fucking-movie, it's why I pay for no-commercial Hulu.
31 The Eye (shudder)
Rounding out the month is The Eye. I watched a bit before getting to bed last night and I'm about to finish it, so I'll update this post afterwards.
This is my list as a whole, and honestly it's probably one of the better, most consistently-decent Shocktobers that I've ever done (god I've watched some stinkers before). Not everything was good, but on average this was a very solid year.
1 Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (Shudder)
2 Jacob's Ladder (hulu)
3 Hell Fest (theater)
4 Terrifier (netflix)
5 The Host (Shudder)
6 The Autopsy of Jane Doe (showtime)
7 Resolution (shudder)
8 The Endless (netflix)
9 Seven in Heaven (netflix)
10 Mandy (VOD)
11 Apostle (netflix)
12 Shutter (netflix)
13 Creep 2 (netflix)
14 All Hallows Eve (hoopla)
15 Psycho (shudder)
16 Halloween (2018) (theater)
17 Summer of 84 (shudder)
18 Baskin (hulu)
19 Suspiria (original) (hoopla)
20 Bone Tomahawk (amazon)
21 Timecrimes (shudder)
22 The Beyond (shudder)
23 Bride of Re-Animator (amazon)
24 The Third Eye (Netflix)
25 Murder Party (Netflix)
26 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (amazon)
27 Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Film & 40s)(hulu)
28 The Thing (Film & 40s) (blu ray)
29 The Return of the Living Dead (Film & 40s)(amazon)
30 Beyond Re-Animator (tubitv)
31 The Eye (shudder)
Well, ended up not seeing another movie last night, so I am calling it here.
1. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
2. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
4. Paranormal Activity (2007)
5. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) Re-Watch
6. Pet Sematary (1989)
7. Prince of Darkness (1987)
8. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
9. Tomie Unlimited (2011)
10. Hush (2016)
11. Halloween (1978) Re-Watch
12. Halloween (2018)
13. Creepshow (1982)
14. Apostle (2018)
15. It Follows (2015)
As far as highlights go among the new watches, my top 3 are Creepshow, It Follows, and In the Mouth of Madness in no order, but Creepshow probably came on top, cause I am still so impress on how it all comes together with such a wonderful style. Maybe next year I will look at other notable anthology flicks, and the original Halloween might end up being a tradition.
1. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
2. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
3. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
4. Paranormal Activity (2007)
5. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) Re-Watch
6. Pet Sematary (1989)
7. Prince of Darkness (1987)
8. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
9. Tomie Unlimited (2011)
10. Hush (2016)
11. Halloween (1978) Re-Watch
12. Halloween (2018)
13. Creepshow (1982)
14. Apostle (2018)
15. It Follows (2015)
As far as highlights go among the new watches, my top 3 are Creepshow, It Follows, and In the Mouth of Madness in no order, but Creepshow probably came on top, cause I am still so impress on how it all comes together with such a wonderful style. Maybe next year I will look at other notable anthology flicks, and the original Halloween might end up being a tradition.
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26. The Church
It's basically "what if the Demons series went towards a more serious direction, with an emphasis on unique visuals and some 'what the hell is that?'". It works though. This is Michele Soavi's second feature after Delirium (Stagefright), and although I prefer the former, this film definitely points in the direction he was heading with Dellamorte Dellamore. There is a prologue that takes up too much time, wasn't necessary, and looks cheap as well. Instead, the film should have revealed the info from the prologue throughout the rest of the movie. The demon action doesn't really get started until the third act, until then it's a movie that's set up rather decently with some interesting characters. There is some cheesiness, which is to be expected, but as a whole package this is an improvement over both Demons' films. Onto The Sect next year. I wish there were more Soavi films.
7.5/10
27. A Quiet Place
The comparisons to the raptor scenes from Jurassic Park are on point, as that is exactly the kind of suspense this film taps into. This is essentially a gimmick horror film, similar to Lights Out or Unfriended, where the film is designed around one gimmick. In this case, nobody makes sound because super hearing monsters will kill them. Fortunately, there is a decent story to go with the gimmick. I really enjoyed the family dynamic, and how well thought out the gimmick was with the situation of the family (that's vague for a reason). My main issue here is many parts of the film felt contrived, particularly in the second and third act (I rolled my eyes a couple of times at this point). Moments didn't have enough impact because they didn't feel earned or completely necessary within the film. The direction is decent with some scenes being fantastic and others that could be improved. The film hits its peak just about halfway through, which is when the suspense was completely nailed. Overall, it's a good first effort from a first time director, and I'm looking forward to more.
7/10
28. Street Trash
"and all the colors of the rainbow"
What can you say about Street Trash? Well, it's gory, campy, offensive, definitely has a touch of trauma (toxic avenger trauma), and is funny much of the time. Some gags or moments went too far for my taste, this movie will be too much for many. It features: melting, rape, a bunch of hobos playing "hot potato" with a man's severed genitals, more rape, racism, misogyny, etc. At times there is kind of a message behind the madness though, and the world of the hobos was creative. I loved the melt scenes, though a stretch of the film goes way too long before seeing the next. I guess one issue is that one of the film's heroes is about as good of a person as any bad guy here, and after a while it gets exhausting. Still though, it's fun. I wouldn't call it harmless fun, but fun nonetheless.
6.5/10
It's basically "what if the Demons series went towards a more serious direction, with an emphasis on unique visuals and some 'what the hell is that?'". It works though. This is Michele Soavi's second feature after Delirium (Stagefright), and although I prefer the former, this film definitely points in the direction he was heading with Dellamorte Dellamore. There is a prologue that takes up too much time, wasn't necessary, and looks cheap as well. Instead, the film should have revealed the info from the prologue throughout the rest of the movie. The demon action doesn't really get started until the third act, until then it's a movie that's set up rather decently with some interesting characters. There is some cheesiness, which is to be expected, but as a whole package this is an improvement over both Demons' films. Onto The Sect next year. I wish there were more Soavi films.
7.5/10
27. A Quiet Place
The comparisons to the raptor scenes from Jurassic Park are on point, as that is exactly the kind of suspense this film taps into. This is essentially a gimmick horror film, similar to Lights Out or Unfriended, where the film is designed around one gimmick. In this case, nobody makes sound because super hearing monsters will kill them. Fortunately, there is a decent story to go with the gimmick. I really enjoyed the family dynamic, and how well thought out the gimmick was with the situation of the family (that's vague for a reason). My main issue here is many parts of the film felt contrived, particularly in the second and third act (I rolled my eyes a couple of times at this point). Moments didn't have enough impact because they didn't feel earned or completely necessary within the film. The direction is decent with some scenes being fantastic and others that could be improved. The film hits its peak just about halfway through, which is when the suspense was completely nailed. Overall, it's a good first effort from a first time director, and I'm looking forward to more.
7/10
28. Street Trash
"and all the colors of the rainbow"
What can you say about Street Trash? Well, it's gory, campy, offensive, definitely has a touch of trauma (toxic avenger trauma), and is funny much of the time. Some gags or moments went too far for my taste, this movie will be too much for many. It features: melting, rape, a bunch of hobos playing "hot potato" with a man's severed genitals, more rape, racism, misogyny, etc. At times there is kind of a message behind the madness though, and the world of the hobos was creative. I loved the melt scenes, though a stretch of the film goes way too long before seeing the next. I guess one issue is that one of the film's heroes is about as good of a person as any bad guy here, and after a while it gets exhausting. Still though, it's fun. I wouldn't call it harmless fun, but fun nonetheless.
6.5/10
Scratch that. I had nothing to do today besides watching horror flicks. It's a Halloween miracle!
25 - Scream 3 (1999) Entertaining for a one time watch, but very weak. [2/5] However, 26 - Scream 4 (2011) is a good ending to the trilogy. They went a bit overboard with their zany meta commentary, so much so that I think they should invent another word for what they've done, but it's a charming and witty send-off to three great characters. It's also a lot gorier then previous films, which ofcourse they make fun of for being a must in this day and age. Fun film. But please, let Ghostface rest. [3/5]
27 - Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1995) entered so bad it's good territory. It's just silly fun. And lot's of it. [2/5]
28 - Nightmare (1964) is a striking piece of psychological horror about a young girl terrified of going insane just like her mother, whom she had seen kill her father when she was eleven years old. [4/5]
29 - The Thing (1982) might be a new favorite. Isolation, desperation, paranoia and "that thing". I knew almost nothing about the film before watching it, but I heard a lot of great stories. I can understand why. A bit difficult to watch for a Husky lover like me. :( A magnificent Kurt Russell made up for that. Heck of a film. [4/5]
30 - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) My expectations might have been too high after hearing so many people's fondness for this film, or I just watched too many horror flicks in a row, but I did not like this movie. At all. I found most of it to be quite boring, filled with empty feeling scenes and flat characters that died creatively but I couldn't really care about. Heather Langenkamp's performance annoyed me. Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger was the only performance worth talking about, but he should have kept his mouth shut. Very disappointing. [2/5]
Number 31 is going to be Brian DePalma's Carrie. Never seen it before, looking forward to it.
Taking a bit of a breather now, though. 4 hours 'til Midnight...
#31 - Hereditary (2018)
I am shook. This lived up to the hype. Strong family drama. Grief. Trauma. A solid foundation for when things start to spiral out of control, and boy do they spiral. Don't have anything to add to the praise this has gotten, I can only echo it. Hereditary had me on the edge of my seat. 8/10
Film 38 - The Limehouse Golem
I took out her eyes in case my image had been imprinted upon them, and washed the blood from my hands with the gin in her chamberpot.
This splendidly melodramatic Victorian murder mystery, set amongst the slums, music halls, and opium dens of 1880s London, is one of my absolute favourite films of the month. The story of a Jack The Ripper-esque serial killer and the detective who hunts him is twisty, gripping, and beautifully performed by an outstanding ensemble cast. The incomparable Bill Nighy is especially good as the inspector trying to catch the Limehouse Golem (as the press have dubbed the killer), and Olivia Cooke is also fantastic as a famous music hall star accused of slaying her husband, a man who just happens to be a prime suspect in the Golem case.
While the movie's darkly sumptuous sets do end up fairly blood-splattered, I'd hesitate to really call it a horror movie. You'll also work out who the killer is before Bill Nighy manages to. Neither of those things bothered me though. This is a fantastic film, and highly recommended.
Films I've watched so far
And now I'm off to see my final film of the month, Slaughterhouse Rulez, on the big screen. Early reviews suggest it's a bit crap, but it stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, so I'm still hopeful. I'd have preferred to see The Fog or the original Evil Dead, both of which are also playing tonight, but my good lady wife bought the tickets so Slaughterhouse Rulez it is.
I took out her eyes in case my image had been imprinted upon them, and washed the blood from my hands with the gin in her chamberpot.
This splendidly melodramatic Victorian murder mystery, set amongst the slums, music halls, and opium dens of 1880s London, is one of my absolute favourite films of the month. The story of a Jack The Ripper-esque serial killer and the detective who hunts him is twisty, gripping, and beautifully performed by an outstanding ensemble cast. The incomparable Bill Nighy is especially good as the inspector trying to catch the Limehouse Golem (as the press have dubbed the killer), and Olivia Cooke is also fantastic as a famous music hall star accused of slaying her husband, a man who just happens to be a prime suspect in the Golem case.
While the movie's darkly sumptuous sets do end up fairly blood-splattered, I'd hesitate to really call it a horror movie. You'll also work out who the killer is before Bill Nighy manages to. Neither of those things bothered me though. This is a fantastic film, and highly recommended.
Films I've watched so far
And now I'm off to see my final film of the month, Slaughterhouse Rulez, on the big screen. Early reviews suggest it's a bit crap, but it stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, so I'm still hopeful. I'd have preferred to see The Fog or the original Evil Dead, both of which are also playing tonight, but my good lady wife bought the tickets so Slaughterhouse Rulez it is.
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29) The Leopard Man (1943)
★★★1/2
The final collaboration of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur, "Leopard Man" is just as atmospheric and visually impressive as their previous two landmark films. All the ingredients I've come to expect are here: dark alleyways, the masterful interplay of shadow and light, and a slowly building sense of dread. Lewton's RKO productions have aged so well because we don't see a silly rubber monster. Instead, it's all subliminal and psychological, hinted at instead of spelled out. The problem here is that the story lacks the nuance and depth I've come to expect. Too many characters are introduced (and occasionally disposed of) over the brief running time, rarely given enough room to breathe. Still, these shortcomings cannot detract from the technical brilliance on display.
1) Terrifier (2018) ★1/2
2) Child's Play 2 (1990) ★★1/2
3) Motel Hell (1980) ★★★
4) Wolfen (1981) ★★1/2
5) The Devil's Candy (2015) ★
6) I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016) ★★★1/2
7) Lake Mungo (2008) ★★★1/2
8) Child's Play 3 (1991) ★1/2
9) Dead Night (2018) ★★
10) The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) ★
11) Bride of Chucky (1998) ★★★
12) XX (2017) ★1/2
13) Seed of Chucky (2004) ★1/2
14) Stake Land II/The Stakelander (2016) ★★1/2
15) Curse of Chucky (2013) ★★1/2
16) The Old Dark House (1932) ★★★
17) Cult of Chucky (2017) ★★
18) The Devil Rides Out (1968) ★★1/2
19) The Innocents (1961) ★★★1/2
20) Emelie (2015) ★★1/2
21) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) ★
22) Witchfinder General (1968) ★★★1/2
23) Satan's Little Helper (2004) ★★★
24) Tragedy Girls (2017) ★★1/2
25) Death Line/Raw Meat (1972) ★★1/2
26) Night of the Demon/Curse of the Demon (1958) ★★★★
27) The Mephisto Waltz (1971) ★★
28) Nighmare on Elm Street (1984) ★★1/2
★★★1/2
The final collaboration of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur, "Leopard Man" is just as atmospheric and visually impressive as their previous two landmark films. All the ingredients I've come to expect are here: dark alleyways, the masterful interplay of shadow and light, and a slowly building sense of dread. Lewton's RKO productions have aged so well because we don't see a silly rubber monster. Instead, it's all subliminal and psychological, hinted at instead of spelled out. The problem here is that the story lacks the nuance and depth I've come to expect. Too many characters are introduced (and occasionally disposed of) over the brief running time, rarely given enough room to breathe. Still, these shortcomings cannot detract from the technical brilliance on display.
1) Terrifier (2018) ★1/2
2) Child's Play 2 (1990) ★★1/2
3) Motel Hell (1980) ★★★
4) Wolfen (1981) ★★1/2
5) The Devil's Candy (2015) ★
6) I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House (2016) ★★★1/2
7) Lake Mungo (2008) ★★★1/2
8) Child's Play 3 (1991) ★1/2
9) Dead Night (2018) ★★
10) The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) ★
11) Bride of Chucky (1998) ★★★
12) XX (2017) ★1/2
13) Seed of Chucky (2004) ★1/2
14) Stake Land II/The Stakelander (2016) ★★1/2
15) Curse of Chucky (2013) ★★1/2
16) The Old Dark House (1932) ★★★
17) Cult of Chucky (2017) ★★
18) The Devil Rides Out (1968) ★★1/2
19) The Innocents (1961) ★★★1/2
20) Emelie (2015) ★★1/2
21) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) ★
22) Witchfinder General (1968) ★★★1/2
23) Satan's Little Helper (2004) ★★★
24) Tragedy Girls (2017) ★★1/2
25) Death Line/Raw Meat (1972) ★★1/2
26) Night of the Demon/Curse of the Demon (1958) ★★★★
27) The Mephisto Waltz (1971) ★★
28) Nighmare on Elm Street (1984) ★★1/2
#38 - An American Werewolf In London (1981) - John Landis is one of three directors whose horror films I can identify by its style alone. The other two are Clive Barker and John Carpenter. Landis's films seem to be seeped in sarcastic, dry humor with some darkly funny themes throughout. Then there's his whole "See You Next Wednesday" trademark that's seen throughout his works. An American Werewolf In London is Landis's greatest work. In my eyes, it is still the greatest werewolf movie, and one of the best horror movies ever made. Vastly entertaining, charismatic lead performances, great music selection, and the GOAT makeup effects in horror history (only The Thing and The Fly come close); AAWIL is a classic and highly regarded as among the best films in the genre.
David Kessler and Jack Goodman are two best friends that decide to go backpacking through Britain for 3 months during a break from college. Tired and cold, they happen upon the Slaughtered Lamb tavern for a short rest. Jack notices the pentagram on the wall of the tavern, and the place suddenly goes from jovial to eerily quiet. They are told to beware the moon, stick to the roads, and stay off the moors. Not paying attention where they are going, David and Jack are quickly lost in the moors under a full moon and hears a strange howling noise. They are attacked by a werewolf, with Jack being torn apart and David being left with deep scratches on his face and chest. The werewolf is killed. David awakes in a hospital in London to find out his friend is dead. Comforted by the beautiful Nurse Price, David falls in love, but is tormented by violent dreams. Jack appears to David one day as a corpse in various stages of decay to tell him that David will become a werewolf at the next full moon due to the injuries he received. Jack is also in limbo to walk the earth forever as the undead until David kills himself to sever the werewolf bloodline. David is unsure if he is going mad, or if he really is a werewolf.
It's hard for me to understand why David Naughton and Griffin Dunne didn't get more work after their performances in this movie. Both are charming, likable characters that you hate to see what ultimately happens to them. Nurse Alex Price is quite possibly the most gorgeous nurse I have ever seen, and I've spent decades swooning after her character along with her sultry accent. The way the film is setup really makes you wonder about the state of David's psyche with the violent dreams of his family and his lover being murdered. The movie spends just enough time building the chemistry between all the lead characters. David and Alex's relationship quickly blooms into a tender love. David and Jack make it clear that they are great friends, and stays that way even after Jack reappears with flesh dangling off his skin. The interaction between David and undead Jack is where the main portion of the movie's dark humor comes from. How would you feel seeing your dead best friend come back to life in a decayed state while conversing with you like its no big deal? David's reactions are similar to what the viewer is feeling during those scenes. It's weird, a little frightening, but there's still some part of you that can look past the decay and still see a familiar face. The audio is great as every song included the word "moon" in it somewhere. It's a little disappointing that Landis couldn't get permission to use the more famous versions of those songs, but it's hardly noticeable. Thanks to the werewolf howls in this film, I keep expecting every werewolf howl to sound similarly. Finally, we get to the best thing about this movie: the makeup and visual effects. Do you realize how great your work must have been for the Academy Awards to create a brand new category of Best Makeup just to recognize your achievements? It's not hard to see why. I've heard stories from my parents who saw this in theaters saying how their audience ooh-ed, ah-ed, and clapped during the infamous transformation scene. To this day, I still get a little giddy watching that brief, masterful display of creativity. Aside from the transformation, the other effects are just as great. Mutilated bodies are shown glistening in the dark with graphic depictions of a werewolf attack. Jack's rotting corpse makeup was so realistic that there were allegedly people in the streets during the filming of the ending that would get nowhere near Griffin Dunne. Michael Jackson loved this movie so much that he hired Landis and all of his crew from this film (including Rick Baker) for a little music video called Thriller. My only disappointment is how I wished the werewolf were more bipedal than on all fours looking like a mix between a bear and dog. However, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the final product. That werewolf's face is pretty terrifying. But during the death scenes (many of which don't linger on the deaths very long if at all), there is a lot of tension built up as the viewer knows what's coming, but not exactly when.
An American Werewolf in London remains a landmark film in the way of makeup effects that have yet to be surpassed. Its efforts are often imitated, never duplicated. The characters are fun, it moves at a quick pace, there are some unexpected scares, and I just think it's an overall wonderful film. I hope this one is never remade as it is nearly perfect the way it is. Recommended to everyone.
9.5 naked, American men who stole my balloons out of 10.
Fun fact: During a meetup with David Naughton at a horror convention, he and I got around to talking about how lucky he was to have a sex scene with the gorgeous Jenny Agutter (Nurse Alex Price). Naughton said that the love scenes were all filmed on his 30th birthday, and that it was the best birthday present he could've wished for at the time. Unfortunately, due to those sex scenes and his nudity, Dr Pepper fired Naughton as a spokesman after his appearance in the film.
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getting ready for tonights annual viewing of #31 Ghostwatch one of the finest tricks the BBC ever pulled back in 92 only to be matched by the past weeks Inside no 9
And that's 31 - Carrie (1976). A great way to end the marathon and one of the best films i've seen this month.
All of the movies i've seen have been first time viewings.
I'm going to miss this thread.
All of the movies i've seen have been first time viewings.
- Salem's Lot (1979) 3/5
- Night of the Living Dead (1968) 5/5
- Christine (1983) 4/5
- Tremors (1990) 3/5
- 1922 (2017) 4/5
- The Ring (2002) 4/5
- Fright Night (1985) 3/5
- 1408 (2007) 3/5
- Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) 4/5
- IT (2017) 4/5
- Event Horizon (1997) 4/5
- Dracula (2006) 2/5
- The Evil Dead (1981) 3/5
- Alien (1979/Theatrical Edition) 4/5
- Warm Bodies (2013) 3/5
- Aliens (1986/Theatrical Edition) 4/5
- Scream (1996) 4/5
- Scream 2 (1997) 3/5
- The Grudge (2004) 2/5
- Dracula (1931) 4/5
- The Exorcist (1973) 5/5
- Frankenstein (1931) 3/5
- Young Frankenstein (1974) 4/5
- Near Dark (1987) 3/5
- Scream 3 (1999) 2/5
- Scream 4 (2011) 3/5
- Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1995) 2/5
- Nightmare (1964) 4/5
- The Thing (1982) 4/5
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 2/5
- Carrie (1976) 5/5
I'm going to miss this thread.