31 Days of Horror (2021) - The October Movie Marathon

[jph139]

Movie 33 | WNUF Halloween Special, 2013

And to cap things off - what's more Halloween than watching bad TV? An absolutely loving tribute to the dwindling world of local television, it's really authentic. Like, you can tell it's not real, but it really commits to the bit, which makes for a kind of boring viewing. But like, that's what it should be, right? Watching a chintzy "live ghost house" special in the last 80s would be mostly commercials and blue-balling.

I would have preferred a little bit more horror in there - though I think the explicit reveal of what exactly happens at the end was a poor choice - but what is sprinkled in is pretty effective. And it's really, really funny. Frank Stewart is such a believable asshole, and the whole "live seance" gimmick is brilliant.

-----

So that's it! 33 movies, all of them first-time watches! Letterboxd list here.

Week 1 | The Phantom Carriage, Malignant, Prince of Darkness
Week 2: |Lake Mungo, Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Spiral, Pulse, The Amityville Horror, Poltergeist
Week 3 | Black Sunday, City of the Living Dead, Brides of Dracula, Army of Darkness, 28 Weeks Later, Ravenous, Diary of the Dead
Week 4 | Phase IV, Rodan, Creature of the Black Lagoon, Piranha, Rogue, Long Weekend, Monkey Shines
Week 5 | Henry: Portrait of Serial Killer, Slumber Party Massacre, Maniac, Masque of Red Death, Last House on the Left, Cannibal Holocaust, Ichi the Killer
Halloween | New Nightmare, WNUF Halloween Special

If I had to make a top five, it'd probably look something like this:

1) Phase IV: Really brilliant movie, and an instant favorite. Takes the "killer ants" concept to an artistic level that's hard to believe.
2) Monkey Shines: Completely brilliant in the opposite direction. A very silly movie that takes itself dead serious, and is better for it.
3) Lake Mungo: Love the faithfulness here, one of the high marks for the found footage genre. Possibly the scariest of the year for me.
4) Pulse: Or maybe this is? The concept and imagery are chilling and executed flawlessly, up until the ending where it starts to lose me.
5) Creature of the Black Lagoon: Between this and Black Sunday to round things out, but I just really like the Creature. Poor guy.

And only two duds for me: Malignant and Spiral, both of which I found hard to enjoy. So yeah, good year overall! Looking forward to the next one!

 

[Irmavep]

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Mass consumption and TV as true horror. Impossible not to connect with the themes from They Live given the Carpenter involvement.
It's pretty solid and I wished the series remained as an anthology. Kind of elevated by the irony of being part of a now long running franchise.

So, that's it. 31 films. Happy Halloween, Era!

01. Friday the 13th (1980)
02. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
03. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
04. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
05. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
06. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
07. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
08. Friday the 13th Part IV: Jason Lives (1986)
09. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
10. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
11. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
12. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
13. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
14. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
15. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
16. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
17. Jason X (2002)
18. Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
19. Friday the 13th (2009)
20. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
21. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
22. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
23. The Keep (1983)
24. Blind Woman's Curse (1970)
25. The Boxer's Omen (1983)
26. The Seventh Curse (1986)
27. Angel Dust (1994)
28. Black Sunday (1960)
29. Blood and Black Lace (1964)
30. A Bay of Blood (1971)
31. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Click to shrink...

 

[THErest]

Can this go beyond October? I've got some wintery entries to take on, as a former Ohioan now a Floridian, I save the seasonal movies for their respective seasons.


(31+9) -- Donnie Darko

(rewatch)
It's been at least a decade. This is well acted, but not really well shot. The actors involved really elevate it. A time paradox played out, don't watch the director's cut unless you are a masochist. Absolutely worth a watch, but the depth may be an illusion. Then again, this is one of few my wife will actually watch, and she cried.

Spoiler: previous entry

(31+5) -- Muppets Haunted Mansion

(first watch)
Does this count? Whatever, I've already hit 31 anyway. This was fun, cute, somewhat unremarkable. But then, it's Muppets. Lots of cool cameos throughout.


(31+6) -- Young Frankenstein

(rewatch)
An absolute classic comedy. Need I say more?

PUTT. THE CENDEL. BECK!


(31+7) -- Ghostbusters

(rewatch)
Another classic comedy, lots of fun, and some awesome songs in this one. Saving the Day stuck in my head forever.


(31+8) -- Halloween

(rewatch)
My traditional annual rewatch, well, one of many, but probably the most important one. Beautifully shot, hauntingly scored, creepy, tense, fun, eerie, relatively bloodless (but it doesn't matter), and it's oozing with K.I.S.S. energy (and it works). It's clear why this is the enduring slasher, and always will be. If you haven't seen it, treat yourself.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler: The 31

1 -- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
2 -- Dead & Buried
3 -- Prince of Darkness
4 -- Re-Animator
5 -- Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
6 -- Black Sunday
7 -- Night of the Demons
8 -- Cronos
9 -- Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key
10 -- House (1977)
11 -- House (1985)
12 -- The New York Ripper
13 -- The Evil Dead
14 -- Candyman (1992)
15 -- Hellraiser
16 -- Haunt (2019)
17 -- Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker
18 -- Nosferatu (1922)
19 -- Halloween (2018)
20 -- Omen III: The Final Conflict
21 -- Suspiria (1977)
22 -- The Brood
23 -- Inferno
24 -- Candyman (2021)
25 -- The Addams Family
26 -- Halloween Kills
27 -- Dressed to Kill
28 -- Evil Dead
29 -- Viy
30 -- Sleepy Hollow
31 -- Halloween III: Season of the Witch

 

[Look! The Pie!]

Aaaand I'm done.

31. Ghostwatch (1992)(Rewatch)

"And what about you, Kimmy? Aren't you a little bit afraid?"
"Sometimes."
"Why, do you think Mr Pipes has come to hurt you?"
"I think he's come to hurt everybody. I think he wants to do nasty things."

Not only one of my favourite horror "movies" but one of my favourite pieces of media ever made, not least for how truly ahead of its time it was. Preceding the rise of reality TV, ghost-hunting shows, and the found footage genre, this mock investigation into the supernatural masterfully interwove all of them and terrified a nation in the process.

Presented as a 90 minute live investigation into a haunting in the Greater London area, this was shown on Halloween night 1992 and has never been repeated since (effectively banned by the BBC in an attempt to mitigate the controversy it created), although it has now had two official DVD releases. For years only available on bootleg VHS copies recorded on the night of broadcast, the film gained cult status and an almost legendary reputation.

It's easy to look back now and wonder how people were fooled. After all, some of the acting (particularly from the kids) was pretty ropey, a cast list had been published prior to broadcast, and the film was aired in an established drama slot. However:-

1. This was pre-internet, and people were far less savvy/cynical.
2. The BBC, at this time, was still very much considered a respected broadcaster (known as "Auntie Beeb", a kind of moral authority to the UK), and the idea of it intentionally misleading people on this scale was unthinkable.
3. In a stroke of genius, the producers decided to use real, well-known TV personalities in the leading roles (including Michael Parkinson, then a household name in the UK as a serious interviewer and trusted broadcaster). This lent an air of authenticity and realism to proceedings, with the studio portions being very similar in style and format to actual shows of the time, such as Crimewatch. They even used the same call-in phone number used in other live programming at the time!
4. Many people either missed the start of the broadcast (and therefore also the "Screen One" drama ident) or were too young to realise they were being fooled. Like seven year-old me.

The plot, at least to start with, is nothing you haven't heard before: a mother and her two young daughters claim to be tormented by an entity in their home, known only as "Pipes" because of the banging noises which were initially blamed on a faulty central heating system. But as things progress a real sense of dread and menace develops, the slow burn raising the tension until the investigation culminates in a terrifying crescendo.

So many things are done right; the countless bits of foreshadowing, the occasional technical hiccup (maintaining the veneer of live TV realism), the hoax-within-a-hoax piece of misdirection, the gradual reveal of Pipes's (incredibly disturbing) origins via phone calls from viewers and local folklore, and the fact that his appearances are limited to fleeting, almost subliminal moments (there are still discussions being had to this day in terms of how many glimpses we actually get - the official number is apparently 13, but to date I've only been able to find 9).

Typically for a piece of media so bold and before its time, the backlash was huge. The BBC received thousands of complaints in the days following transmission. The British Medical Journal reported that several children had been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of watching the programme. Tragically, a mentally-ill teenager even committed suicide after becoming convinced that Pipes was haunting him.

Its impact at the time can't be denied, but the question is, does it still hold up after all these years? I'd argue yes, remarkably so. There's a reason I come back to it every Halloween. There's a reason the hairs on the back of my neck stand up whenever one of my cats starts wailing at something. There's a reason entire theses have been written about it.

Here's to the 30th anniversary next year.

10/10

 

[Ithil]

31) Possessor (2020)

It's hard to say if that's really her idea or it's just the worm's.

A very dark and grim thriller from Brandon Cronenberg, son of David, who's making a name for himself in his own right recently. This has a clever premise, of an assassin that takes control of other people's mind to carry out hits. I wonder if we might have seen more of it in action "normally", before it starts to go a little pear shaped in the film's plot. It's a film best left knowing little going in, so I won't mention any further, but suffice to say it's quite mindbending with some terrific imagery (especially one that looks like melting wax people signifying a body takeover), and absolutely gnarly violence. This is ugly and brutal gore not meant to entertain or thrill.

It's definitely not for everyone, as it's slow and supremely bleak, but it shows a ton of promise in Cronenberg, who's still early in his feature career. A good end to my official list for 31 Days. I've had more bonus films pop up than expected, and indeed I have one more candle to light this Halloween night.

That's also the end of my Modern Malice week

Film of the Week: Freaky (2020)
Dud of the Week: Halloween Kills (2021)

 

[More_Badass]

1) Cat People (1942) - ★★★
2) Black Sunday (1960) - ★★★★
3) Onibaba (1964) - ★★★★
4) A Bloodthirsty Killer (1965) - ★★★½
5) Morgiana (1972) - ★★★★
6) Diabel (1972) - ★★★★
7) Horror Express (1972) - ★★★★½
8) Alucarda (1977) - ★★★★½
9) Night of Death! (1980) - ★★★
10) The Queen of Black Magic (1981) - ★★★½
11) Corpse Mania (1981) - ★★★½
12) Superstition (1982) - ★★★
13) Cat People (1982) - ★★★★
14) The Final Terror (1983) - ★★★½
15) Cemetery of Terror (1985) - ★★★½
16) Poison for the Fairies (1986) - ★★★★
17) Lurkers (1988) - ★★
18) Amok Train [aka Beyond the Door III] (1989) - ★★★★
19) Grave Robbers (1989) - ★★★★½
20) The Sect (1991) - ★★½
21) Intruder (1997) - ★★★½
22) Sleepy Hollow (1999) - ★★★★½
23) A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) - ★★★½
24) Bone Sickness (2004) - ★★★
25) Rogue (2007) - ★★★½
26) Fetus (2008) - ★★½
27) Kidnapped (2010) - ★★★½
28) Cryptic Plasm (2013) - ★★★★
29) The Wolf House (2018) - ★★★★★
30) The Queen of Black Magic (2019) - ★★★★

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31) The Last Matinee (2021)
★★★★
I couldn't have picked a better film to cap off this year's horror marathon. Like Intruder, like Stagefright, like Haunt, The Last Matinee is sculpted to popcorn slasher essentials: neon theater, menacing black-gloved killer, unlucky patrons suffering savage gory deaths, and quite possibly the most stunning throat slice I've ever seen in a movie.

This Uruguay-Argentinian slasher embraces that purity of being nothing more than a vivid homage to the genre's golden age and to the moviegoing experience. The neon vibes and sense of place are ravishing; nearly every frame is awash in colors and hues. The giallo-esque killer is defined by silent brutality, strikingly-shot presence, and an eyeball mania that would make Fulci proud. Luciana Grasso as projectionist Ana imbues a simple lead role with personality to root for, but all of the characters have their quirks and moments. Director Maximiliano Contenti even keeps the tradition of awesome movies-in-a-movie alive (and the best part is that it's an actual film). The Last Matinee would pair wonderfully with Demons or Anguish and their devilish corruption of the movie theater.

I think the intensity peters out in the final act once the faceless killer has a face, while the finale confrontations felt a tad too abrupt and slightly underwhelming. The no-nonsense no-frills approach means this doesn't have the substance, grime, or outlandishness to truly be an all-timer. But rest assured, regardless of my final rating or gripes, The Last Matinee is five-star slasher fun.

 

[BaraSailey]

I ended up being one movie shy of 31 but I ended on three very strong films so I'm feeling pretty happy overall!

28. Tumbbad (2018) - I found this to be a very unique horror film. It felt almost like a folktale more than a horror movie considering the later events of the film, but it had wonderful atmosphere and a very interesting story. 4/5
29. The Night House (2020) - I really enjoyed the mystery of this film. Beth learning more and more about what her husband had been doing before his death was fascinating and started to reveal some horrifying stuff. This had a super strong performance by the lead actress and was some great psychological horror. 4/5
30. La Llorona (2021) - This was excellent. I liked the fresh spin to the lore, as well as found the political backdrop of the movie to be fascinating. This movie was very slow and subtle with its horror elements but that worked in its favor. 3.5/5


Other films I've watched this month:

1. No One Gets Out Alive (2021) - This was okay. I didn't hate it, and I liked the main character but the ending section, where most of the actual horror elements take place, fell pretty flat to me due to the monster looking very not scary. 2.5/5
2. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) - A rewatch for me, but a film that is truly a million times better than its predecessor. It's a got a great atmosphere and a fun, creepy story. I'm a true sucker for creepy little girls in horror and Lulu Wilson does a great job at being truly creepy in this. As a side note, Mike Flanagan really likes to reuse actors, which isn't a bad thing, I just never realized how many actors in this were in his other films/series. 4/5
3. Mama (2013) - Another rewatch. I think the CGI is this movie's weakest part due to how fake the titular character actually looks. It's still pretty solid overall but the fondness I had for it the first time I saw it has faded a bit on a second watch. 3/5
4. Till Death (2021) - I wouldn't really consider this a true horror film (to me, at least), but it was a pretty solid film overall. It definitely kept me entertained, but if I had to vote on which version of this premise I prefer, I would easily give it to Gerald's Game. That film felt more like horror film, while this definitely leaned more into the thriller aspects even if the idea is horrifying in itself. 3/5
5. There's Someone Inside Your House (2021) - This was okay overall. I enjoyed the cast and I felt like the movie was shot well. I love teen slashers and it definitely felt like a type of homage to the genre. I felt the twist with the killer was slightly predictable though, and it didn't impress me that much. It was still an enjoyable watch. 3.5/5
6. The Manor (2021) - This had a very interesting premise, and I felt it had a unique protagonist given the fact we don't see many main characters in horror that are in their 70s. For a Blumhouse Amazon collaboration film, this was pretty good. It wasn't very scary but it kept me engaged. 3/5
7. Friday the 13th IV: The Final Chapter (1984) - Definitely the best Friday the 13th film. This had some fun kills of your favorite typical teenage horror stereotypes. I had no idea Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover were in this so that was a fun surprise to see. I also enjoyed how they beat Jason in this, and I assume the implication was that Tommy would become the new Jason with that last shot (though I'm pretty sure they didn't go that route). This would've been a decent end to the series if they had actually ended it here. 3/5
8. Evil Dead II (1987) - This was a rewatch for me, but it had been a few years since I'd seen this (though I've watched it many many times). It's still my favorite Evil Dead film. I love the mix of horror and camp. The whole film feels completely over the top, and Bruce Campbell's performance really makes this movie for me. 4/5
9. No One Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (2020) - This movie felt like The Hills Have Eyes but in the woods. It follows a lot of horror tropes (and a character in the movie is constantly pointing this out) and has a cast of characters that feel two dimensional for the most part. I will say it was shot really well and a few of the kills were quite fun, but otherwise it wasn't very impressive. 2.5/5
10. Evil Dead (2013) - After watching Evil Dead II yesterday, I decided to rewatch this remake (or re-imagining? this shares very few things from the original series of films). The last time I saw this was when it was out in theaters, and I still quite like this film for what it is. It's very very gory, which I remembered, and is something I enjoy about it. I also liked the premise for why the group heads to the cabin, and I appreciated that this wasn't just a simple remake but was truly its own thing. I still prefer the original series for how campy it was, and Bruce Campbell kills it as Ash, but this is great in its own way. 4/5
11. House of Wax (2005) - I haven't seen this film in a very long time, probably close to when it originally came out. I remember thinking this was trash, probably in part because Paris Hilton is in it, but after this rewatch I have a new appreciation for this film. Paris is honestly fine in this -- though she's barely in it -- plus her death is one of the best in the film. I also really feel like it was a fun, unique take on a slasher, and the setting itself of the wax museum/town was great, plus the finale is pretty awesome. The entire museum being made of wax makes no real sense to me, but the whole thing melting away was a cool idea.. 3/5
12. The Shining (1980) - I haven't watched this is a long while. This movie has great atmosphere, an excellent setting, and beautiful cinematography. It's way more slow moving than I remember, but I wouldn't consider that a bad thing. The pace really aids the atmosphere and makes the ending feel more explosive and intense. A true horror classic. 4.5/5
13. An American Haunting (2005) - I don't have much to say about this, other than I was shocked Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland were in this. I didn't think this was very good, though a possession/haunting story that takes place in the 1800s is an idea that I think had potential. It just wasn't very scary. 2/5
14. The Host (2006) - I usually don't love monster movies, but I did quite like this. It felt more like an action movie than a horror movie to me, but it was really engaging, emotional at times, and filled with excellent performances all around. 4/5
15. Queen of Spades (2021) - This was just trash. It was about some sort of Bloody Mary type ritual that a bunch of teens decide to try that gets almost all of them killed. It wasn't scary, or even that entertaining. 1/5
16. The Possession (2012) - I've always enjoyed possession films and I actually quite like this one even though I know it wasn't that well received at release. The whole idea of the dybbuk being literally inside Em physically is really creepy to me. I think this is overall a very competent horror film with some interesting twists on the standard possession story fare. 3.5/5
17. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - I absolutely love this film. Freddy is my favorite slasher villain and his personality and kills are always a lot of fun. Even though I think the Dream Warriors is the best in the series for it's insanely creative, campy kills, the first film is truly the strongest outing when you look at it as a whole. It has some fun kills, the iconic bloody bed kill in particular is one of my favorites in the series, and an excellent quasi final girl in Nancy. I've always enjoyed this series for how it plays with reality and makes you question if what you're watching is real or in a dream. 4.5/5
18. From Within (2008) - I thought I had never seen this before but I realized a third of the way through I had. This wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Essentially some kid starts a ritual by killing himself that makes people kill themselves in like a chain suicide type thing. I do kind of like how bleak the ending was; that was a great, unexpected twist. Definitely wasn't worth watching again though. 2.5/5
19. The Sacrament (2013) - This was pretty good, though not truly scary to me. Cults really creep me out so that aspect interested me, and the ending was pretty bleak. Overall, I felt this was a solid film, though maybe not the kind of horror I was expecting it to be. 3.5/5
20. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) - This was pretty good, surprisingly. There were a lot of fun sections and I feel it stands out from the first film, especially with switching up the gender of the main character. There was also a lot of gay subtext in the this film, but I can't tell if it's intentional. I feel like Jesse, the main character, was struggling with his sexuality and that aspect added a lot to this film for me. It's nowhere near as good as the first film, and Dream Warriors is in my opinion the strongest of the sequels that spawned from Nightmare, but I would definitely rank this up there with it. 3.5/5
21. Freddy vs. Jason (2003) - This had some fun kills and gore in it, but honestly it felt like early 2000s trash to me. The concept is fun, and they definitely went with a more humorous approach to fit the absurdity of it, but overall I wasn't that impressed. 1.5/5
22. 28 Day Later ... (2002) - I know this film is credited as reigniting zombie movies into the mainstream again, but as someone who is and has been fatigued on zombies for a while this was just good to me, not great. I enjoyed how character driven it was and found the main cast quite likable. Personally, in zombie or even post apocalyptic movies I prefer a focus on how humans would act after society falls apart and less about what actually caused the fall, and I feel like this movie checked off the right box there. I guess the issue for me is I've interacted with so much media that actually does this now that I wasn't as impressed by this as I would've been if I saw it when it came out. It was definitely worth a watch though. 3.5/5
23. Daniel Isn't Real (2019) - This is the highlight of my marathon so far. It's more psychological horror than most stuff I've watched so far and it has what I feel is some cosmic horror as well. Luke's imaginary friend, Daniel, comes back after years of being gone after Luke's mother's schizophrenia worsens. Daniel tries to encourage Luke to do dark, wrong things, which Luke is hesitant to. After his resistance, Daniel decides to take things into his own hands and things sprial out of control from there. This had a strong cast, was really well shot, and a fascinating story from start to finish. 4.5/5
24. Curse of Aurore (2020) - This was just utter found footage trash, I don't have more to add than that. 1/5
25. Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) - I really love this movie. Many of the Nightmare sequels were rather weak, which seems to be a trend in slasher movie sequels, but New Nightmare was a fun and inventive way to create another entry in the franchise. 4/5
26. Young Frankenstein (1974) - Not very scary (obviously), but a good film none-the-less. A very fun script and an amusing sort of retelling of Frankenstein. 3.5/5
27. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) - I thought I hadn't watched this before, but shortly after starting this I realized I had. I must've tried to forget it because this movie was awful. There was an odd amount of attempts at comedy in this that were, in my opinion, jarring and unnecessary. The main baddie was creepy, so I'll give them that. The rest was just ... not good. 1/5

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[coma]

We finished up by carving pumpkins (I did Luigi, because what's scarier than that?) and watching Trick or Treat finally. Fun times. Enjoyed reading all your reviews and having my watchlist grow even larger. Between this month and the 30+ I did for a scifi/horror marathon in September, think I'm good on horror for a bit. Final tally:

New:
01. Strait-Jacket (1964, William Castle) ★★★½
02. Dead & Buried (1981, Gary Sherman) ★★★
03. Zombi 3 (1988, Lucio Fulci & Bruno Mattei) ★★★★
04. Christine (1983, John Carpenter) ★★★★
05. The Body Snatcher (1945, Robert Wise) ★★★★
06. Black Sabbath (1963, Mario Bava) ★★★★
07. Tourist Trap (1979, David Schmoeller) ★★★
08. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957, Terence Fisher) ★★★½
09. Ju-on: The Grudge (2002, Takashi Shimizu) ★★★½
10. Insidious (2010, James Wan) ★★★½
11. Symptoms (1974, José Ramón Larraz) ★★★★
12. Alligator (1980, Lewis Teague) ★★★
13. The Uninvited (1944, Lewis Allen) ★★★½
14. Alone in the Dark (1982, Jack Sholder) ★★★★
15. Vampyr (1932, Carl Theodor Dreyer) ★★★★
16. The Old Dark House (1932, James Whale) ★★★½
17. The Masque of the Red Death (1964, Roger Corman) ★★★★
18. The Last Horror Film (1982, David Winters) ★★★
19. Maniac (2012, Franck Khalfoun) ★★★½
20. Trick 'r Treat (2007, Michael Dougherty) ★★★½
21. Viy (1967, Georgiy Kropachyov, Konstantin Ershov) ★★★★
22. Hour of the Wolf (1968, Ingmar Bergman) ★★★★
23. Hold That Ghost (1941, Arthur Lubin) ★★★½
24. The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972, Emilio Miraglia) ★★★½
25. Human Lanterns (1982, Sun Chung) ★★★½
26. Lisa and the Devil (1973, Mario Bava) ★★★
27. The House on Sorority Row (1982, Mark Rosman) ★★★
28. Demons (1971, Toshio Matsumoto) ★★★★★
29. The Leopard Man (1943, Jacques Tourneur) ★★★½
30. Messiah of Evil (1973, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz) ★★★½
31. Pulse (2001, Kiyoshi Kurosawa) ★★★★½
32. Pin (1988, Sandor Stern) ★★★½
33. Hush (2016, Mike Flanagan) ★★★½
34. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998, Jim Stenstrum) ★★
35. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016, Mike Flanagan) ★★★½
36. Blood Bath (1966, Jack Hill & Stephanie Rothman) ★★★½
37. Doctor Sleep (2019, Mike Flanagan) ★★★★
38. Nightmare City (1980, Umberto Lenzi) ★★★
39. The Queen of Spades (1949, Thorold Dickinson) ★★★★
40. Devil Story (1986, Bernard Launois) ★½
41. Witchfinder General (1968, Michael Reeves) ★★★★
42. Trick or Treat (1986, Charles Martin Smith) ★★★★

Re-watches:
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper) ★★★★★
The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme) ★★★★★
The Haunting (1963, Robert Wise) ★★★★½
Night of the Living Dead (1968, George A. Romero) ★★★★½
Spider Baby (1967, Jack Hill) ★★★★
StageFright: Aquarius (1987, Michele Soavi) ★★★★
Zombie (1979, Lucio Fulci) ★★★★
Carnival of Souls (1962, Herk Harvey) ★★★★
Misery (1990, Rob Reiner) ★★★★

 

[cake]

Finished up my list for the month (remaining summaries below the total), pretty solid list overall. Some rewatches, a bunch of new stuff, and fairly few real stinkers. My favorite new watches this year were Freaky, Spontaneous, and Last Night in Soho, all of them just great. Looking forward to next year!

16 - In Fabric - Tubi

The tale of a haunted dress as it passes between owners, and the department store clerks who sell it that acts as an overarching bit. I really liked the initial story of the single mother, but felt the second with the engaged couple was pretty awful. It was beautifully made but the humor didn't land for me at all and it just dragged.


17 - Hangman (2015) - Tubi

A family goes on vacation, and when they return their home is burgled. Problem is the intruder is still hidden inside the house and is obsessed with them, in particular the wife. It's got some super creepy moments and imagery, it being a vey down to earth possibility makes it all the scarier.


18 - The Fog (1980) - Amazon Prime Video

A Carpenter classic, this is the story of a fog rolling across a town on it's centennial anniversary, and the ghosts in the fog taking revenge for long-forgotten grievances. The vibe of the town is wonderfully cozy, and Jamie Lee Curtis is great as always.


19 - Cameron's Closet - Amazon Prime Video

10-year-old Cameron has psychic powers, a Mayan demon haunting him, and a new shitty stepdad. Was a decent enough watch but nothing special.


20 - YellowBrickRoad - Amazon Prime Video

Partly inspired by the Roanoke story, a group comes to a small town where in 1940 the citizens all walked off into the woods; some were found dead, some simply disappeared, and one lived. The group finds the trailhead of the titular road to follow the same trail and find out what happened. It's not great for 2/3 of it but when they get near the end and start going nuts it's pretty fun to watch their descent into madness.


21 - Spontaneous - Hulu

Mara is your average snarky high school senior, and one day the classmate sitting in front of her pops like a balloon. The teens are quarantined as government officials try to figure out what happened, and then another student pops. And another. As the class struggles with the reality that at any moment they could abruptly die, Mara connects with Dylan (the always great Charlie Plummer) and finds happiness in the horror. This was fantastic, great acting and chemistry between the leads, awesome writing and funny humor, and solid emotional beats as the kids deal with an impossibly shitty situation. There's an obvious "it's an allegory about school shootings" scene that felt a little on the nose writing-wise but this just hit perfectly for me. This was the director's first movie after writing stuff like The Babysitter and I can't wait to see what they do next.


22 - The Wicker Man (1973) - Amazon Prime Video

A cop travels to an isolated island to find a missing girl, and finds they follow Celtic gods instead (much to the Christian cop's dismay). Somehow I'd never seen this before so I made to put this on the list and it did not disappoint. The cop is a stuck up loser and looks even worse compared to the suave mayor Christopher Lee, who plays the town with a fucking swagger. I knew going in about the ending but seeing things fall into place was a great time that I'm glad to have finally seen.


23 - Sputnik - Hulu

A Russian cosmonaut survives a rough reentry, and turns out he has a parasitic alien inside him. A psychiatrist is brought in to help assess the situation, and naturally things go downhill. A bit slower than I'd have liked but I really enjoyed the play between the leads. The design of the alien was great and creepy.


24 - Uzumaki - Amazon Prime Video

Based on the Junji Ito manga, it features a town cursed by spirals. Taking inspiration from a number of the stories in the manga (I'd guess roughly the first third of them), leads Kirie and Saito witness the start of the town descending into madness due to the spiral curse. People start to become obsessed with spirals and some mutate in strange ways (a man collects things with spirals on them and becomes a spiral himself when running the washing machine with him in it; a woman self mutilates anything on herself with a spiral, including her fingerprints and the cochlea in her ear; a schoolgirl curls her hair leading to a wild imagery; a boy develops spirals on his back and slowly turns into a slug). Problem is the acting is pretty overdone and the most interesting bits are only right at the very end as the madness really starts to set in on a wider scale. There's even a montage of some creepy spiral stuff to tease "it gets worse". The individual stories are fairly faithful to the book (besides the ending), which I appreciated. The manga is fantastic and this was nowhere near good enough, I'm hoping the new anime adaptation next year does it justice.


25 - Possum - Shudder

Off-brand Jeffrey Coombs, a disgraced children's puppeteer, returns home and deals with the trauma of his childhood. Meanwhile there's a missing kid and he's suspected of being the kidnapper. It's not a fun movie by any means, rather a dark surreal nightmare, but it's damn good at exuding that feeling of dread and unease.


26 - RiffTrax Live: Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes - theater

A lamp escapes the classic haunted house and causes trouble for a new family across the country. It's super dumb but Rifftrax made it a good time.


27 - Gaia - Hulu

A pair of scientists visit an isolated forest only to find survivalists living there and incredible danger lurking. This was pretty decent, even if the monsters were way too Last of Us (cordycep zombies, honestly if you told me this was a TLOU prequel I'd believe you).


28 - Blood Fest - Amazon Prime Video

A horror festival is happening tonight, some teens manage to get in, turns out the organizer wants to make a horror documentary out of killing all the attendees. The main cast has to try and survive through this gauntlet of horror tropes (zombies, clowns, witches, etc). Better than I expected, with some good laughs and playing on ideas.


29 - Extremity - Shudder

A young woman joins an extreme haunt, shit goes bad. Some decent scary imagery but it's not great.


30 - Antlers - theater

A new teacher takes notice of a student having trouble just as mangled bodies start being discovered around town. A methodical slow burn focusing on addiction and abuse (which doesn't always land but overall gets there), there's some fantastic body horror and it's just overall very pretty to watch. Rather enjoyed it.


31 - Last Night in Soho - theater

A young girl moves to London to follow her dream of becoming a fashion designer, but starts seeing visions of a girl in the 60's who came to town looking to become a star, going from promising young talent to brutally murdered. As she gets more entangled in the tale of the dead girl, the visions and reality start to blur. This was fantastic, great writing, amazing use of color and music, and just wonderful lead performances.


Bonus - Trick R Treat - HBO Max

I've seen it a million times, but this anthology chronicling one Halloween night's trick is a damn classic.

 

[Violence Jack]

#53 - Trick r Treat (2008)

Of course I finished off the marathon with the greatest Halloween film. I wanted to squeeze in a few more today, but things just didn't pan out. I can't wait for the sequel as I'm sure it will be just as filled with surprises as this one is.

I'll have my final list and marathon awards tomorrow.

 

[Conditional-Pancakes]

I can't wait for the sequel as I'm sure it will be just as filled with surprises as this one is.

Click to shrink...

Wait, they're making a sequel??

 

[MrHealthy]

1. No One Gets Out Alive 3/5
2. The Final Girls 5/5
3. The Changeling 2/5
4. Slice 1/5
5. Halloween 1978 - Rewatch 4/5
6. Halloween 2018 3/5
7. SuperDeep 3/5
8. The Thing 2011 4/5
9. The Night Eats the World 4/5
10. Cam 4.5/5
11. Coherence - Rewatch 5/5
12. Day of the Dead 2/5
13. Post Mortem 3.5/5
14. Ditched 1/5
15. Candyman 3/5
16. Super Z 0/5
17. Spiral: From the book of Saw 2/5
18. Werewolves Within 3.5/5
19. Child's Play 2019 3/5
20. Meander 3/5
21. The Similars 3.5/5
22. The Purge 2.5/5
23. The Amusement Park 4/5
24. The Boy Behind the Door 5/5
25. The Void 2.5/5
26. Carrie 1976 4/5
27. The Room 3.5/5
28. Seance 3/5
29. Ouija: Origin of Evil 2/5
30. Children of the Corn 2/5
31. The Faculty 3/5

And my final films was The Faculty

A fun mix of The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It was a great popcorn flick to munch on leftover Halloween candy to. Doesn't do anything super original, but doesn't really need too. Has a surprising amount of recognizable actors in it. Plus Jon Stewart gets a pen shoved into his eye. 3/5

 

[Mariachi507]

31. The Haunting

When you boil it down, this is probably THE haunted house movie, isn't it? Robert Wise accomplished so much in his lifetime, I mean the guy worked with Welles on Citizen Kane! It's his horror contributions that I appreciate the most though. Having his breakthrough as a director with Curse of the Cat People, the follow-up to what began Val Lewton's impeccable producing run of horror. Wise then followed that up with The Body Snatcher, which is my favorite of his. He soon branched out with blockbuster crowdpleasers like West Side Story, but he didn't forget his roots; and fortunately he also didn't forget to bring his toolset acquired from the Lewton days.

The horror here is largely based on shadow and suggestion. It has the effect of not dating this film like some of its contemporaries. It's cast of characters each have their own personality, from which the story loves to bash them together. Be it the believers or the naysayers, there is plenty for them to discuss and bicker about in between bouts of getting scared out of their wits. Mental health is also a focus, which is great for the time. I do wish there was as much suggestion applied to the story and characters as their was the terror. Nell's VO in particular is a bit of a drag, especially when it tells us nothing that couldn't have been done visually. Inventive camera angles, oppressive sound, and a claustrophobic (yet beautiful) setting gives life to the most important character, which is Hill House itself. This is a timeless entry into the horror canon, and the perfect film for Halloween.

Boo!

8/10

 

[Mariachi507]

31 Days of Horror (2021) Wrap Up

Another year, another last minute crunch. Made it again though. This was a great one though, one of my better in recent memory. The schlock was fun as it should be, and the heavy one's were heavy. A certain sequel to a long running favorite franchise of mine wasn't even though to bring it down...much. I stuck to the Horror Superlatives theme, as I've done for years now, and it continues to bring a variety and diversity to a genre that many believe don't have that. I, myself, at the beginning of the month thought I might be getting to the point of running out of legit good movies to include here, but thankfully I'm proven wrong. I just have to dig a little deeper than I used to find these gems. As long as modern cinema can keep up the momentum it's had with horror the last decade, we should be set for years.

Ranked:

1. The Collector
2. The Devils
3. The House that Screamed
4. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
5. Santa Sangre
6. The Wolf House
7. The Haunting
8. Titane
9. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
10. The Entity
11. Just Before Dawn
12. The Curse of the Werewolf
13. The Hidden
14. Dead & Buried
15. Tammy and the T-Rex
16. Malignant
17. A Quiet Place Part II
18. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
19. Jakob's Wife
20. Jennifer's Body
21. Fear St. Part One: 1994
22. Cam
23. Freaky
24. Revenge
25. Candyman
26. The Creature Walks Among Us
27. Bride of Re-animator
28. Ring 0: Birthday
29. Black Belly of the Tarantula
30. Halloween Kills
31. The Empty Man

Happy Halloween!

 

[Junior Asparagus]

Two short ones to end it. I didn't think I'd watch this many this month, but I got 31 for the 3nd year in a row!

33. The Black Tower (1987) 2.5/5

A strange, experimental short about a man haunted by a tower. It's primarily an audio story, with the film basically providing images to go along with the tale. There are some interesting techniques with sound and editing but the 23 minutes basically tested the limits of what could really be done with the premise.

34. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) 3/5

Price is delightfully hammy as always. I thought the majority of the story dragged a bit and then the climax and the ending sequence with the titular pendulum was too quick. Great final shot though.

1. Candyman (2021) 3.5/5
2. The Empty Man (2020) 3/5
3. The Lost Boys (1987) 2/5
4. His House (2020) 3.5/5
5. 28 Days Later (2002) [rewatch] 4/5
6. 28 Weeks Later (2007) 3.5/5
7. Shadow in the Cloud (2020) 1/5
8. Re-Animator (1985) 4/5
9. Kwaidan (1964) 4/5
10. Coven of Sisters (2020) 4.5/5
11. Don't Breathe 2 (2021) 1.5/5
12. Audition (1999) 4/5
13. The Final Girls (2015) 3.5/5
14. John Dies at the End (2012) 3/5
15. Life (2017) 2.5/5
16. The Endless (2017) 3.5/5
17. Koko-Di Koko-Da (2019) 3.5/5
18. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) 4/5
19. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) 3/5
20. The Vanishing (1988) 4/5
21. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) 4.5/5
22. Tumbbad (2018) 3/5
23. Sputnik (2020) 3.5/5
24. Possessor (2020) 4/5
25. Hunter Hunter (2020) 4/5
26. Onibaba (1964) 3.5/5
27. Bad Hair (2020) 1.5/5
28. La Llorona (2019) 3.5/5
29. Shadow of the Vampire (2000) 3/5
30. Lamb (2021) 3.5/5
31. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) 4/5
32. The Night House (2020) 4/5
33. The Black Tower (1987) 2.5/5
34. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) 3/5

Click to shrink...

Favorite new watches:

1. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
2. Coven of Sisters
3. The Night House
4. Possessor
5. Hunter Hunter

 

[tryagainlater]

#31. Dawn of the Dead (1978) - Another horror classic to take out of my shame pile of films I haven't watched. I have seen Night and Day before though. Pretty good movie to end it on too. The main thing I was surprised by was there not being some forced drama between the main group. It was quite refreshing. Sure, there was some amount of disillusionment between the married couple but most movies with similar concepts has them at it eachother's throats within a few seconds; hell, the other two movies were like that. There was conflict with another group but that didn't even last that long. The various scenes of them working together on a number of projects to secure the mall were fairly engaging and kept the film moving. Of course, the cynicism that this film is pointed towards is consumerism and there probably isn't a better setting for such a message. It's about as subtle as a sledgehammer in that regard but it works. Overall, this is a fantastic trilogy. Day is probably my favourite. The sheer bleakness of that one spoke to me.

And there we are. 31 nights, 31 movies. List for record:

#1. Candyman (1992)
#2. Hostel
#3. The Descent
#4. The Empty Man
#5. Brightburn
#6. Lake Mungo
#7. The Last Exorcism
#8. Insidious: Chapter 3
#9. The Hallow
#10. The Beyond (1981)
#11. La Llorona (2019)
#12. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
#13. Dagon
#14. The Fog (1980)
#15. The Curse of La Llorona
#16. The Changeling (1980)
#17. Mayhem
#18. Basket Case
#19. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
#20. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
#21. The Omen (1976)
#22. Children of the Corn (1984)
#23. Rogue (2007)
#24. Sator
#25. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
#26. Possum
#27. REC 4: Apocalypse
#28. Psycho III
#29. Exorcist: The Beginning
#30. Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies
#31. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Pretty decent batch this year. In terms of older films, Dawn and Candyman were great to finally see and some great newer stuff there too such as Possum, La Llorona and The Empty Man. Every year I'm wondering if I'll find 31 films that I haven't seen and every year, there's more and more films that I put off to the next year from building a list of recommendations from the rest of the thread.

Great thread as always. It's good to see so many participating and I enjoy reading all of your write-ups. Till next year!

 

[Pitcairn55]

What a great October! It was my 9th 31 Days of Horror marathon and easily the best in terms of the quality of the movies I watched; loads of good stuff and only a few real stinkers. Tempted to use the folk horror / period piece themes again next year, if I can find enough new movies. Thanks everyone for all the reviews and recommendations. It's been awesome. See you in eleven months!

Final Ranked List

FANTASTIC
The VVitch
Coven of Sisters
In The Earth
Gretel and Hansel
The Siren
The Wicker Man
Sator
The Power
The Dark (2018)
The Borderlands
Black Death

GOOD
The Lighthouse
Sleepy Hollow
Crimson Peak
Isolation
Blood Harvest
Heretiks aka The Convent
Midsommar
The Hallow
The Woman In Black (1989)
The Fear Street Trilogy
The Cleansing
Black Plague
Madres
The Block Island Sound

FAIR
The Banishing
Witchfinder General
Sacrifice
Blackwood
The Mare
Wrong Turn (2021)
Cold Ground
Blood Vessel
Viy
Evil Takes Root - The Curse of the Batibat
Halloween Kills
The Wretched

POOR
Thale
Gallows Hill
Ghosts of War
Nobody Sleeps In The Woods Tonight
Rites of Spring
Crone Wood

TERRIBLE
The Reckoning
The Pale Door
The Necromancer
The Devil Below

 

[Gunman]

Re-watches
black christmas (74) - used to appreciate it, but didn't fare well this time. a lot of it wastes my time.

scanners (81) - dated in many ways but still neat gore effects and kinda entertaining overall.

evil dead 1&2 (81, 87) - i re-watch them every other year to see if they'll click, but they don't. part 1 comes closest, i think

the entity (82) - creepy, tense, and harrowing. not nearly enough people talk about this one.

christine (83) - there isn't enough here (including a few cool scenes) to carry the 110 minute runtime.

day of the dead (85) - other than some neat gore effects in the climax, dated and kinda annoying.

fright night (85) - kinda slow and just alright. the lost boys did this concept better a couple of years later.

hellraiser (87) - the cenobites are great; the julia/frank plot that makes up most of the film, not so much.

near dark (87) - not as cool as it should be. spends too much time on it's dull protagonist.

alien 3 (92) - underrated sequel that favors the darker first film over the cameron cheese of the second.

i know.. (97) - actually pretty solid. a tier (or 2) below scream, but i have no major complaints.

halloween h20 (98) - made me miss the thorn trilogy and i thought the thorn trilogy was shit.

i still know.. (98) - if part 1 was a slightly above average slasher, this is a below average slasher.

lake placid (99) - a lot of the humor doesn't hold up and there's a pitiful amount of actual deaths.

scary movie (00) - there's some hits, but a ton more misses. pretty hard to get through at times.

the ring (02) - better than the og across the board, except when it gets bogged down with horses.

hills have eyes (06) - updates the dated og, but doesn't meaningfully improve it. not a fan of either.

28 weeks later (07) - could use an extra 10 minutes or something to punch it up, but it's still good.

lake mungo (08) - great concept with uneven execution. actors let it down and the runtime is taxed.

cabin in the woods (11) - i kinda hated this. the humor (esp the 2 corny old guys) is totally lame.

conjuring (13) - jump scare happy, schmaltzy at times, and a weak third act. still kinda fun.

it follows (14) - looks and sounds great but the set-pieces are mostly weak. still kinda like it.

conjuring 2 (16) - lame, tired, a slog (over 2 hours), and a noticeable step down from the first.

hereditary (18) - first half is quite good, but it peaks midway and the second half doesn't live up to it.



First-time watches
exorcist 2 (77) - well, it's a mess.

basket case (82) - production values are so low it's hard to watch. only mildly amusing otherwise.

arachnophobia (90) - a very okay, very amblin film. takes an absurdly long time to get going.

exorcist 3 (90) - it has it's very few and very fleeting moments but it's just okay overall.

child's play 3 (91) - decent, though chucky's kills and kill count are a bit underwhelming.

candyman (92) - madsen and the score are good. solid overall.

dracula (92) - oldman is fun as (old) dracula, but other than that it's a slog.

interview w/.. (94) - what a weird, boring movie. only thing that makes it kinda watchable is dunst.

craft (96) - not great, but watchable. solid cast and soundtrack, and some amusing moments.

bride of chucky (98) - tilly (human) is fun, and it's all amusing enough. not a fan of super camp chucky.

ringu (98) - the concept is obviously great, but the acting and technical aspects are lackluster.

the others (01) - quaint and uneventful, with hardly any stand-out moments.

halloween r (02) - see halloween h20. plus one half star for replacing ll cool j with busta rhymes.

insidious 1&2 (10, 13) - story elements, monster design, and humor are just a bit too goofy.

ouija origin of evil, annabelle creation (16, 17) - i'm guessing the praise for these creepy little girl films is a result of how they compare to lackluster predecessors, because they're just standard fare?

freaky (20) - weak gags/material, even by body switching standards. missed opportunity.

halloween kills (21) - train wreck.

malignant (21) - not a perfect horror film by any stretch, but one of the most memorable of the last few years.

old (21) - train wreck.

quiet place 2 (21) - what's here is solid, but feels oddly incomplete as a story.

 

[Conditional-Pancakes]

I know 31 Days of Horror is over, but I needed to say that you all weren't kidding about Halloween Kills. I just finished watching it.

The writing and screenplay are so bad. I can't believe this is what they made after the great 2018 film. The drop in quality is very noticeable.

There are two positives I can think of. First, there are a few scenes with Robert Longstreet, which is always a win. And most of the kills are fun. But everything else is very bad...

 

[Divius]

Ooh baby we made it! Another year, another marathon! I had to cram in 3 movies yesterday (dammit life, give me a break) but it is done. Just gotta post something about the last 8 movies (lol) and I'll be completely done here as well, will do so later today.

 

[Ravelle]

Grats to the people that made it this year, a month never goes as fast as October it seems like. I managed to get halfway there this year.

 

[sigma722]

33) Arachnophobia (1990) - Seen it a number of times over the year. Solid film which if you have any hesitation around spiders will exploit to the fullest. 7.5/10

And that's it for me. That film brought my wife up to 31, so we both made it this year. Good times.

 

[Violence Jack]

Final list for October 2021:
FTV = First Time Viewing

1. Ichi The Killer (FTV)
2. The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (FTV)
3. The Amityville Horror (FTV)
4. The Hunger (FTV)
5. Angel Heart (FTV)
6. Noroi: The Curse (FTV)
7. The Stepfather (FTV)
8. City of the Living Dead
9. Sisters (FTV)
10. Zombie
11. A Nightmare on Elm Street
12. Nightmare on Elm Street 2
13. Nightmare on Elm Street 3
14. Nightmare on Elm Street 4
15. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
16. The Sixth Sense (FTV)
17. The Invisible Man (1933)
18. The Spiral Staircase (FTV)
19. Targets (FTV)
20. The New York Ripper
21. Nightmare on Elm Street 5
22. The House that Screamed (FTV)
23. Freddy's Dead - The Final Nightmare
24. Exorcist III (FTV)
25. Sweetie, You Won't Believe It (FTV)
26. Alone With You (FTV)
27. The Sadness (FTV)
28. The Spine of Night (FTV)
29. Off-season (FTV)
30. Broadcast Signal Intrusion (FTV)
31. Antlers (FTV)
32. House
33. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
34. A Classic Horror Movie (FTV)
35. The Church
36. Vamp
37. Ravenous (FTV)
38. Innocent Blood
39. Halloween Kills (FTV)
40. Waxwork
41. Wes Craven's New Nightmare
42. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
43. Prince of Darkness
44. Halloween
45. Freddy vs Jason
46. Suspiria (2018)
47. Hellraiser
48. Wishmaster
49. The Wicker Man (1973)
50. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
51. Children of the Corn
52. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
53. Trick r Treat

Top 5 First Time Viewings
1. The Sixth Sense
2. Antlers
3. Ravenous
4. The Hunger
5. Targets

Bottom 5:
1. Halloween Kills
2. The Sadness
3. Broadcast Signal Intrusion
4. The House That Screamed
5. The Spine of Night

Best overall new viewing: The Sixth Sense -
I now get all the hype that's been around this film for over 20 years. It's Shyamalan's best film and strongest script. It's also frightening, sad, and incredibly well acted. It's for sure going into my collection as a rewatch from now on.

Worst overall new viewing: The Sadness - I had a hard time choosing this year because I ran against 3 things I cannot stand in my horror movies:

1. Overly slow burns. If the plot is plodding for too long, it loses me and hardly ever regains my attention.
2. Inconsistent Tone. You can have hints of different genres in horror films, but jarring shifts in tone just leave me feeling confused and frustrated.
3. Immature filmmaker. Those who put the most violent, wretched things they can think of on screen because they have the maturity level of a 6 year old.

Considering that, there were two films that stood out: Halloween Kills, and an Asian soon-to-be released movie called The Sadness. While HK was filled with inconsistent tone and sheer idiocy when it came to it's characters, I was never bored nor do I feel like David Gordon Green was looking to fill the movie with gross stuff.

When it comes to The Sadness, there is such a hard shift in tone after the first 20 minutes that ends up with an immature filmmaker filling the movie with shock value stuff because he thinks it's cool. Things like rape, dead babies, more rape, infected zombie gangbangs, infected zombie orgies, and hideous dialogue that sounds like it was pulled from death threats sent to females over social media. And even though I wasn't bored here either, I cannot accept throwing in gross stuff because the director doesn't have a clear vision for their story.

See you all in 2022!!!!

 

[atdawnwestrike]

68. The Faculty (1998) (Rewatch) 4/5
Everything about this screams late 90's in the best way. This is a fun high school Invasion of the Body Snatchers with a stacked cast.

 

[atdawnwestrike]

69. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) (Rewatch) 5/5
An absolute favorite of mine that always makes me want to take an hour long shower when it's over.

 

[Divius]

#24 - Messiah of Evil (1973)
Girl arrives in mysterious seaside town looking for her seemingly disappeared father. Finds journals, goes on a spooky detective adventure through the narration of the journals and herself. She finds the town has a dark secret, which it builds up to nicely but the clunky reveal and lowbudget uninspired follow up in the latter parts of the movie diminish the initial promise. 6/10

#25 - The Nightmare (2015)
German partygirls party hard but this one partygirl has issues that manifest in a kind of adorable creature of feelings. Not really horror, but more a dramatic exploration of psychological problems. Really dug the raving partyscenes. 6/10

#26 - The Deadly Spawn (1983)
Very obviously a labor of love on a shoestring budget. Neat creature design but its actions are constrained and at points it looks painfully fake. There is the great occasional gore and it's a lot of tongue-in-cheek fun overall, but it ends with a terribly wack finale. Luckily ends on an inspired final shot. Liked it, but wanted to love it more. 6/10

 

[ThirstyFly]

31 Days of Horror (2021) - The Torment of the Terrible Trios

Trio 10 (Movies 29-31) - What is the password? Ooorrrrrrgggyyy.




No introduction needed here. I just went with three movies that had "orgy" in the title. What could possibly go wrong?

29) Orgy of the Dead (1965) (Oct 30)

Orgy of the Dead is a movie... I think?

Written by Ed Wood Jr., and apparently based on his novel of the same name, Orgy of the Dead is a "nudie cutie" film that's... um... I think "nudie cutie" sums it up well enough.
It's just a series of burlesque go-go dance sequences with a horror theme and the slightest hint of story to string it all together. It delivers what it promises, I guess. Plenty of jiggling and what I assume passed for dancing in 1965, but not much else.
Now I have to find Ed Wood's novel though and see how it relates to the movie. There's no way in hell there's enough of a story here to even fill a single page and wondering what the novel contains is probably the most interesting thing about Orgy of the Dead.

Overall, if you want to hear some wacky Ed Wood written dialogue delivered in the most wooden way possible, and see a bunch unimpressive burlesque sequences filled with awkward dancing, Orgy of the Dead is the "movie" for you. Only recommended for massive kitsch fans who want a couple of laughs.

I'm not even sure this is a movie. 0.5 / 5
Number of orgies: 0

30) Orgy of the Living Dead (La orgía de los muertos) (1973) (Oct 30)

Upon his arrival in a small town to collect his inheritance from a deceased uncle, a man discovers the corpse of a woman hanging in a cemetery which causes him to become entangled in a mystery that surrounds his family.

Orgy of the Living Dead (aka The Hanging Woman) is a fun little European shocker featuring Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy in a co-starring role. Perhaps a little too talky and unfocused at times, it shows promise that it never quite reaches. It could have been something really special had they focused more on building suspense and fleshed out the mystery. But, for what it is, it's an energetic and creative murder mystery with plenty of wacky things happening to hold your interest. It's one I'll definitely revisit when time allows me to be a little more focused on it.

Overall, Orgy of the Living Dead is a creepy chiller worth a watch for fans of classic European Gothic horror, but there probably isn't enough here to win over more contemporary horror fans.

Decent. 3 / 5
Number of orgies: 0

31) The Vampires Night Orgy (La orgía nocturna de los vampiros) (1973) (Oct 31)

A busload of servants on their way to a new placement get stranded in a seemingly deserted village after their driver suffers a heat attack. After spending the night they awaken to discover the residents have returned and are more than welcoming of their new guests.

The Vampires Night Orgy is a pretty typical European chiller for the era. The plot is more of a SCENES HAPPENING thing than a flowing story, and doesn't feature anything too surprising other than one character death that was unexpected and handled way differently than you'd think. It was quite shocking, to be honest.
It's pretty slow, but has some fun unintentional comedy to hold your interest. The score is especially odd. It features a couple of effective and creepy pieces, but for the most part it's really silly and unfitting, giving the movie a really bizarre personality.
The Vampires Night Orgy also features Dyanik Zurakowska, who was also in my previous movie, Orgy of the Living Dead, which was released in the same year. I didn't intend for this to be the case and I hadn't even heard of her before this month, but it was funny to see the connection.
The biggest standout here was the finale. It was pretty impressive just because of how dangerous it looked to film. It's like Jackie Chan somehow got on the set and just threw it together at the last minute.

Overall, The Vampires Night Orgy is acceptable for the type of movie it is, though it's more goofy than scary. Not a strong way to finish a 31 day horror marathon, but I didn't hate it.

Acceptable. 2 / 5
Number of orgies: 0


The Torment of the Terrible Trios - Final Viewed List
Trio 1 (Movies 1-3) - The Hammer Dracula & Karnstein Series (Finale)
01) The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) (Oct 1) - 1 / 5
02) The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) (Oct 2) - 1.5 / 5
03) Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter (1974) (Oct 3) - 4 / 5
Trio 2 (Movies 4-6) - The Giallo Selection (Italian)
04) Death Walks on High Heels (1971) (Oct 4) - 3.5 / 5
05) Death Walks at Midnight (1972) (Oct 5) - 3.5 / 5
06) The Psychic (1977) (Oct 6) - 4 / 5
Trio 3 (Movies 7-9) - French Frights
07) Fascination (1979) (Oct 7) - 3.5 / 5
08) Knife Under the Throat (1986) (Oct 8) - 2 / 5
09) The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls (1987) (Oct 9) - 1 / 5
Trio 4 (Movies 10-12) - Unofficial Italian Evil Dead (La casa) [Ripoff] Sequels
10) Ghosthouse (1988) (Oct 11) - 2 / 5
11) Witchery (1988) (Oct 12) - 1 / 5
12) Beyond Darkness (1990) (Oct 12) - 2.5 / 5
Trio 5 (Movies 13-15) - Japanese Insanity
13) Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki (1992) (Oct 13) - 2 / 5
14) The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) (Oct 14) - 4 / 5
15) Tag (2015) (Oct 15) - 2.5 / 5
Halloween 2018 Timeline
Bonus 01) Halloween (2018) (Oct 15) (rewatch)
16) Halloween Kills (2021) (Oct 16) - 4 / 5
Trio 6 (Movies 17-19) The Giallo Selection (Spanish)
17) The Murder Mansion (1972) (Oct 17) - 4.5 / 5
18) Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (1974) (Oct 18) - 3.5 / 5
19) A Dragonfly for Each Corpse (1975) (Oct 19) - 3 / 5
Trio 7 (Movies 20-22) - [In]animate Objects
20) Battle Heater (1989) (Oct 20) - 3 / 5
21) The Drone (2019) (Oct 21) - 2.5 / 5
22) Slaxx (2020) (Oct 22) - 1 / 5
Trio 8 (Movies 23-25) - Totally not Dracula (aka Nosferatu)
23) Nosferatu (1922) (Oct 23) - 4.5 / 5
24) Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) (Oct 24) - 3.5 / 5
25) Vampire in Venice (1988) (Oct 25) - 0.5 / 5
Trio 9 (Movies 26-28) - The Hammer Frankenstein Series (Beginning)
26) The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) (Oct 26) - 3.5 / 5
27) The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) (Oct 27) - 2.5 / 5
28) The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) (Oct 28) - 1.5 / 5
Trio 10 (Movies 29-31) - What is the password? Ooorrrrrrgggyyy.
29) Orgy of the Dead (1965) (Oct 30) - 0.5 / 5
30) Orgy of the Living Dead (1973) (Oct 30) - 3 / 5
31) The Vampires Night Orgy (1973) (Oct 31) - 2 / 5


Postmortem:
Number of new movies watched: 31
Number of bonus movies: 1
Number of movies that start with "The" in the title: 11
Number of orgies: 0
Number of years doing the marathon: 11
Highlights: Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter, The Psychic, The Happiness of the Katakuris, The Murder Mansion, Nosferatu
Best overall: Nosferatu
Personal favourite: The Murder Mansion
Biggest surprise: Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter
Biggest disappointment: Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki
Complete crap: Vampire in Venice
Might not actually be a movie: Orgy of the Dead
Best kill: Falling into a pit pf molten yogourt after the floor giving way, then being stabbed to death by unknowing girlfriend in Ghosthouse.
Most messed up kill: Either one of the genital kills in The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls, take your pick.
Most uncomfortable: Oh god, too many to choose from.
Most uncomfortable dinner scene: Nicole Rochard (Nieves Navarro) eating fish as a sexy finger food in Death Walks on High Heels.
Most icky: The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls
Most moist: Evil Dead Trap 2: Hideki
Best character: Great-Grandfather Jinpei in The Happiness of the Katakuris
Worst character: Tie: Pepe in Ghosthouse, everyone in Slaxx
Best fashion sense: Marc (Jean-Marie Lemaire) for that glorious, red stripped dinner jacket in Fascination.
Worst fashion sense: Nicole Rochard (Nieves Navarro) and her awful choice for a burlesque costume in Death Walks on High Heels.
Best casting: Peter Cushing in the Hammer Frankenstein movies
Worst casting: Klaus Kinski in Vampire in Venice
Best The Hoff: David Hasselhoff in Witchery
Most didn't want to be there: Donald Pleasence in Vampire in Venice
Best dance moves: Everyone in The Happiness of the Katakuris
Worst dance moves: Nieves Navarro in Death Walks on High Heels (bet you thought this was going to be everyone in Orgy of the Dead!)
Boy, that escalated quickly: Knife Under the Throat
Boy, that escalated slowly: The Psychic
LOUD NOISES!: The Haddonfield mob in Halloween Kills
Most "What the FUCK?": Tag
Don't fuck with: Michael Myers in Halloween Kills
About to take a nap: Me

 

[Ithil]

Bonus Film 11) Hocus Pocus (1993)

Must be some form of protest.

I don't know what the hell Max is whining about, his room is amazing. It's huge and he even got the turret thing there's probably a real name for, I'd have killed to have that as a kid.

Anyway, it's Hocus Pocus, there's not much to say. If you grew up with it in the 90s like me you'll retain a deep soft spot, those who didn't will probably scratch their heads. It's corny, the kids are basic, and it's bizarrely obsessed with virginity, but the three witches are incredibly fun villains, the enthusiastic score by John Debney thrills, a lot of brief side characters entertain (like the bus driver, the elderly couple of varied enthusiasm, etc) and there's a beautiful Halloween atmosphere.

It's funny because Halloween was of course filmed in July in California, so they put down leaves for scenes but it's a little obvious when look around at the very green trees. This film on the other hand was filmed in October, and on location in Salem, Massachusetts no less. All the exterior scenes are seas of orange leaves crunching underfoot, it's a great vibe. So naturally Disney released this film in July, not October. Genius.

All three witches are terrific, but Bette Midler really is magnetic in the role, it's easy to see why it remained one of her personal career highlights over the years.

 

[Violence Jack]

Wait, they're making a sequel??

Click to shrink...

It's currently held up in production hell last I heard, but it's supposedly still going to happen.

 

[Divius]

#27 - Alligator (1980)
This movie knows exactly what it is and runs with it. Big alligator goes rawr, what's not to like? A good time for sure. Robert Forster was great, as was the surrounding cast of characters. 6/10

#28 - SL8N8 (Slaughter Night) (2006)
Sigh. It's that time of the marathon, the obligatory Dutch movie. Honestly, by now it's slim pickings so prospects for upcoming years are getting worse. This takes place in an abandoned mine (well it takes 40 minutes of non-horror to get there) where a bunch of teens mess with an ouija board and get possessed and the murdering begins. A cheap made-for-TV look, worsened by overly excessive shaky cam do no justice to the grimy setting of the mazelike mine. I was not invested in any of it, the characters, the story, the payoff. Just eugh. 4/10

#29 - A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
A delightful blend of horror, comedy, romance, even with some wuxia sprinkled on top. Lovely practical effects and cinematography. Engaging and surprising, never boring, just craziness all around. One of the highlights of the marathon. 8/10

 

[Divius]

Postmortem:
Number of new movies watched: 31

Click to shrink...

Great stuff Thirsty! Always a delight to read your reviews and the legendary postmortem.

 

[Ithil]

So another Halloween is past. One of my favourite 31 Days to date, I'm glad I separated it into theme weeks of Creature Feature, Haunted House, Giallo Gala and Modern Malice. Thanks again to the posters that recommended films. Final List:

1. Old (2021)
2. Deep Rising (1997)
3. Tremors (1990)
4. Alligator (1980)
5. Grabbers (2012)
6. Primeval (2007)
7. Razorback (1984)
8. Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
9. Scanners (1982)
10. The Haunting (1956)
11. The Haunting (1999)
12. Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
13. The Innocents (1961) DONE
14. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
15. Night of the Demons (1988)
16. HOUSE (1977)
17. We Are What We Are (2013)
18. Blood and Black Lace (1964)
19. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
20. A Bay of Blood (1971)
21. Torso (1971)
22. Deep Red (1975)
23. Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
24. Tenebrae (1982)
25. Near Dark (1987)
26. Malignant (2021)
27. A Quiet Place Part II (2021)
28. Freaky (2020)
29. Savageland (2015)
30. Halloween Kills (2021)
31. Possessor (2020)

Bonus Films:
1. House on Haunted Hill (1999)
2. There's Someone in your House (2021)
3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
4. Halloween (1978) (Re-watch)
5. In The Tall Grass (2019)
6. Spiral (2021)
7. Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)
8. Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)
9. Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)
10. Halloween (2018) (Re-watch)
11. Hocus Pocus (1993) (Re-watch)

Film of the Month: Deep Red (1975)
Dud of the Month: The Haunting (1999)
Total New Films: 39

See you next year!

 

[atdawnwestrike]

70. Hereditary (2018) (Rewatch) 5/5
Part 1 of my Halloween night and I had to fit this one in. Just an absolutely soul crushing movie. Every time I watch it I still notice new things and appreciate it a little bit more.

 

[More_Badass]

My top 15 of 2021's 31 Days of Horror. It's a ranking by what was my favorites and the most resonant, not necessary by rating (ie The Wolf House was the only 5/5 this year, but is at #4)

All of my movies, ratings, and impressions below

1) Cat People (1942) - ★★★
2) Black Sunday (1960) - ★★★★
3) Onibaba (1964) - ★★★★
4) A Bloodthirsty Killer (1965) - ★★★½
5) Morgiana (1972) - ★★★★
6) Diabel (1972) - ★★★★
7) Horror Express (1972) - ★★★★½
8) Alucarda (1977) - ★★★★½
9) Night of Death! (1980) - ★★★
10) The Queen of Black Magic (1981) - ★★★½
11) Corpse Mania (1981) - ★★★½
12) Superstition (1982) - ★★★
13) Cat People (1982) - ★★★★
14) The Final Terror (1983) - ★★★½
15) Cemetery of Terror (1985) - ★★★½
16) Poison for the Fairies (1986) - ★★★★
17) Lurkers (1988) - ★★
18) Amok Train [aka Beyond the Door III] (1989) - ★★★★
19) Grave Robbers (1989) - ★★★★½
20) The Sect (1991) - ★★½
21) Intruder (1997) - ★★★½
22) Sleepy Hollow (1999) - ★★★★½
23) A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) - ★★★½
24) Bone Sickness (2004) - ★★★
25) Rogue (2007) - ★★★½
26) Fetus (2008) - ★★½
27) Kidnapped (2010) - ★★★½
28) Cryptic Plasm (2013) - ★★★★
29) The Wolf House (2018) - ★★★★★
30) The Queen of Black Magic (2019) - ★★★★
31) The Last Matinee (2021) - ★★★★

Click to shrink...

 

[atdawnwestrike]

71. Midsommar (2019) (Rewatch) 5/5
Part 2 of my Halloween night and the end of my watch. This year couldn't have ended on a better image than Florence Pugh giving that devilish smile.

 

[Oneiros]

30. The Invisible Man (1933)(Theater)(Rewatch)

One of my favorite movies. Expertly paced, funny, well-acted, and has groundbreaking special effects.

31. The Wolf Man (1941)(Theater)(Rewatch)

The Wolf Man is a compelling werewolf movie about a prodigal son who has returned to the town he grew up in. I like the central bond between Larry Talbot and his father John. Even though John doesn't believe in werewolves, he listens to his son and goes along with what Larry wants him to do. I didn't remember until this viewing that John had just lost another son, so that really adds to the tragedy at the end of the movie.

32. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)(DVD)(Rewatch)

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is a fine series entry. I liked the opening of the movie, as two priests decide to venture to Dracula's castle to cleanse it of evil. This of course leads to them unintentionally reviving Dracula in the most preposterous way possible. From then on, its mostly a standard Hammer Dracula movie. I was interested by the religious themes, but I didn't think the pay-off was very satisfying.

33. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)(DVD)

I wasn't expecting too much from this Hammer Frankenstein sequel and I ended up liking it so much it might be my favorite in the series. It starts with a lengthy flashback to the doctor up to his usual shenanigans, which leads to his new monster running amok and Frankenstein being kicked out of town. In the present, he returns to the scene of the crime and stumbles upon his creature frozen in ice. His creature's brain is unresponsive, so the doctor enlists the help of a shady carny hypnotist to rouse it.

I liked the character dynamic between Dr. Frankenstein and the hypnotist. The doctor needs him, since he's the only one who can control the creature, but things end up getting out of hand. They're both ego-maniacs and will do anything to get their way. They hypnotist reminded me of Igor in Son of Frankenstein, since they both use the monster as their weapon to get revenge. Peter Cushing is great as always and its nice to see his Frankenstein get a bitter rival.

34. Mad Monster Party (1967)(Blu Ray)(Rewatch)

I'm a sucker for the cheesy Rankin-Bass holiday specials. This one is a clear step down from some of their Christmas classics, but its enjoyable enough. There are some catchy tunes and amusing characters. The main character is really dorky, which makes him kind of annoying. Francesca has a Jessica Rabbit thing going on. I forgot how unexpectedly dark the ending is.

35. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)(Blu Ray)(Rewatch)

This was my first time watching the Kino Lorber Blu Ray and I wasn't sure which version to watch. There are two versions with different soundtracks and framerates. I went with the 1925 version at 24 FPS, which seemed really good and has great picture quality. The plot is quickly paced as we immediately jump in to the Phantom sending threatening letters and talking to his beloved Christine through the walls. Once she meets him in person, we find out its a one-sided love affair.

I love how ghoulish and imposing the Phantom is. Not only in looks, but in how planned out his scheme is. His massive underground lair is full of traps and secret passageways. He has air pipes ready to help him sneak up on intruders from underwater. Its a lot of fun and makes for an exciting adventure.


36. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1938)(Blu Ray)

I hadn't ever seen any Abbott and Costello until now. It was alright. Costello is the goofball of the pair and he made me laugh a few times. It was cool to see the actual Universal monsters make appearances. I might watch their other monster crossovers.

 

[ThirstyFly]

Great stuff Thirsty! Always a delight to read your reviews and the legendary postmortem.

Click to shrink...

Thanks. I was kind of running on fumes this year so I really appreciate the comment.

 

[Conditional-Pancakes]

That was my first time doing the 31 Days of Horror, and I really liked it.

I wish there was a kind of "Horror Review" thread to continue posting stuff like this all year-round.

 

[atdawnwestrike]

That was my first time doing the 31 Days of Horror, and I really liked it.

I wish there was a kind of "Horror Review" thread to continue posting stuff like this all year-round.

Click to shrink...

Horror Fan Era: Eternally Overlooked

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” ― H.P. Lovecraft Whether it is the new school of horror, Hammer Horror and the horror of the 60's and 70's, Grindhouse and Exploitation, European Giallo, 80's classics ...

www.resetera.com

There is a general Horror thread but it's unfortunately not as active.

 

[wenis]

100. Scream [1996]

Great movie, great cast and a soundtrack that despite some song selections, the score is just amazing. I think this might be Craven's best overall when you really look back at his work. NoES is definitely defining but this one is his peak in terms of writing and directing. Just an amazing film.

4 and a half 🌠 out of 5

101. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare [1991]

This one was just rough to get through. The MTV-ness of the script and screenplay was just too much for me and the characters were all sorta lame. I was feeling especially burnt out on Freddy at this point so like I suppose my feelings were just mimicking what it must've been like at the release of this movie where there's this just tired feeling making this movie. It's a very "I could take a nap and not miss much" movie if there ever were one. the hokey 90's CG and the loose story around Freddy being a family man at one point in his life kinda prop this thing up into a shambling skeleton, but its time to bury this dude for the last time.

2 🌠 out of 5

102. Crawl [2019]

What a rock solid horror, survival, animal attack feature. I just thoroughly enjoyed this one front to back and you cant get enough Barry Pepper in your life you know? It's a very tense affair and the storm really starting up just helps escalate things into maximum overdrive. what a movie.

4 🌠 out of 5

103. New Nightmare [1994]

Welp not the last time. This was ok, but not good in any regard. It's a weird mess that Craven would eventually solve with Scream, but right now in this one he seems very confused and a little beligerent. there's just too much baggage around Freddy that trying to do this sorta picture without an even longer gap in between pictures makes it a messy affair. It's also too long and just really flat in spots. I dont really care about the characters and its really tough in general to give too much fo a shit about the story. I dunno, its not good, not the worst. Some fun gore and gags, but yea, messy movie he would fix and really do something interesting with in Scream.

2 and a half 🌠 out of 5

Special Screening on Halloween of Halloween [1978]

Just a great movie. I'm really glad I was able to close out the month seeing this movie in theaters with a crowd. It didnt seem like everyone had seen this one before so there were some good pop moments when the movie makes room for them and everyone was having a good time. It was just very nice to finally see this one on the big screen.

5 🌠 out of 5

I think I may spend the rest of the year 100%-ing my full list on Letterboxd, still plenty of stuff I havent seen on there before:

https://letterboxd.com/dorium/list/sa-horror-thread-october-2021-spookies/

 

[Oneiros]

It was a good month. I appreciate the write-ups. I've added several movies to my list next year based on them.

 

[Divius]

Ending the month on a high note!

#30 - Shock (1977)
When in doubt: Mario Bava. Always Mario Bava. Never disappoints. Unfortunately, after Shock, I have only a single Bava horror/Giallo remaining for next year. A young family moves into a new house, which happens to be haunted and the young kid gets possessed. The kid is creepy. He's also a terrible actor, but his wooden line-reading also adds to the creepiness. From the start, you can feel the eerie creeping atmosphere that keeps building and getting more intense. Great stuff. Supported by lush stunning framing and camerawork, and a beautiful score this is another homerun. 8/10

#31 - Malignant (2021)
This one seemed to be rather polarizing, so it had me excited to be the final movie of this years marathon. Bonkers. Beautiful. Masterfully made schlock. Loved it. 8/10

 

[kidtamagotchi]

October 31

The final 3 movies I watched.


Movie: The Monster Squad (1987)

Watched on: Pluto TV On Demand

Classic kids monster movie. My brother and I loved this back in the day. Strangely, we didn't know anybody else that knew of this movie back then. Good to see so many love this movie now as well. Cool lore, great to see the classic movie monsters in a modern setting. The special effects are cool, especially the monster design/suits. The Creature From the Black Lagoon's design is my favorite in this. The movie is surprisingly emotional as well. The 80s ruled!

Movie: Frankenstein (1931)

Watched on: Blu-Ray

What can be said that hasn't already been said about this movie? An absolute classic. You really feel for Frankenstein's monster in this. Boris Karloff does a great job. Some of the performances by the other actors are very 'theater-y', but I can see it as helping to set the mood. Very cool set design and special effects for the time. I really enjoy this movie!

Movie: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Watched on: Blu-Ray

Another absolute classic. I think it is a better film than its predecessor. This movie does seem to retcon some things from the previous Frankenstein film. The only thing I kind of don't like about the movie is that one old lady at the beginning who's pretty much ranting and raving in all of her scenes. It's great when other characters tell her to shut up! Of course, being an over dramatic woman, when she tells the authorities that the monster is still alive, they ignore her. When a man tells the authorities that the monster is still alive, everyone jumps into action. I thought that was messed up (and realistic). You once again feel for Frankenstein's monster. He just wants to be loved! When he meets a person who he has so much in common with (the bride of Frankenstein), she totally rejects him! I know that pain. Great movie!

The final count:

1. Candyman (1992)
2. Gonjiam Haunted Asylum (2018)
3. The Wailing (2016)
4. Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)
5. High Tension / Haute Tension (2003)
6. The Descent (2005)
7. Hellraiser (1987)
8. Re-Animator (1985)
9. Ring / Ringu (1998
10. Rampant (2018)
11. One Missed Call (2003)
12. Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986)
13. Dark Water (2002)
14. Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
15. Day Of The Dead (1985)
16. 3...Extremes (2004)
17. Blade (1998)
18. Spooky Encounters / Encounters Of The Spooky Kind (1980)
19. Silent Hill (2006)
20. Mr. Vampire (1985)
21. House / Hausu (1977)
22. Ghostbusters (1984)
23. Ghostbusters II (1989)
24. The Fly (1986)
25. Orphan (2009)
26. Train To Busan (2016)
27. Audition (1999)
28. The Monster Squad (1987)
29. Frankenstein (1931)
30. Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

I reached 30 movies! Missing that last one stings! I still had a bunch I wanted to watch, too! All the movies I watched on Tubi/Pluto TV were first time watches (except for Buffy The Vampire Slayer and The Monster Squad). I have quite a few I want to watch next year, it's just a matter of finding a way to watch them!

 

[Divius]

FINAL LIST:

#01 - The Mummy (1959)
#02 - Werewolves Within (2021)
#03 - The Devil Rides Out (1968)
#04 - The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959)
#05 - The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
#06 - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
#07 - Deep Rising (1998)
#08 - Blood Quantum (2019)
#09 - Serial Mom (1994)
#10 - Jeepers Creepers (2001)
#11 - Phase IV (1974)
#12 - Frailty (2001)
#13 - Hannibal (2001)
#14 - Red Dragon (2002)
#15 - Halloween Kills (2021)
#16 - Tales from the Hood (1995)
#17 - Slumber Party Massacre (2021)
#18 - Titane (2021)
#19 - So Sweet, So Dead (1972)
#20 - His House (2020)
#21 - The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
#22 - Zombie for Sale (2020)
#23 - The Funhouse (1981)
#24 - Messiah of Evil (1973)
#25 - The Nightmare (2015)
#26 - The Deadly Spawn (1983)
#27 - Alligator (1980)
#28 - SL8N8 (Slaughter Night) (2006)
#29 - A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
#30 - Shock (1977)
#31 - Malignant (2021)

My previous years: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020 / 2021

 

[Ridley327]

Boy, did I have a weird journey to getting this write-up finished for the last film or what!

What better way to end a marathon than with an anthology? Maybe one that likes to play around with your expectations of one, perhaps? Oh yes indeed, we have ourselves a live one here!

The framing device: "What if we got Clancy Brown to more or less play Angus Scrimm" is an elevator pitch that, excusing anyone else with a different opinion on the matter, that I would give all of the damn money in the world to the filmmaker that suggested it. And indeed, Brown is having the absolute time of his life as the wonderfully named Montgomery Dark, the resident mortician of Raven's End and exasperated local boogieman who has clearly gotten to old for this gig as he can't even keep up with the lingo with how best to describe his oddness in circa 1970s. Lo and behold, someone does manage to answer the ad for help wanted at the mortuary of the deeply skeptical Sam (Caitlin Custler), who clearly wants to be there if not exactly there for the job itself, which leads to an interesting tension between the two as Dark entertains his potential new hire with a tale or two. Without diving too much into the dynamics here, the way the film on the whole plays with the conventions of the framing device are a real treat as it manages to find the fine line between droll amusement and rather macabre revelations that does help breathe new life into the setup that so often is pretty much what it looks like on the surface. The conversations the two have regarding the form and tropes of morality tales themselves showcase a nice back-and-forth between Brown and Custler, so even before fate finds them on a more divided opinion of each other, there's a lot to like about their relationship.

The warm-up tale: Dark tries Sam on for size with a very short and minimalist tale of a pickpocket whose curiosity gets the better of her when she just can't leave that damn medicine cabinet alone. Nothing terribly fancy here by design, but one look at the credits tells you all you need that the legendary Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. were going to have a lot of fun with the practical effects work in this one, and while some CG is used to assist their efforts throughout the film, they make their presence felt almost immediately with the entity that lies beyond the looking glass itself. Simple by design on the whole, but a very strong taste for what's to come in the meatier stories.

Unprotected: Now, I know what you're thinking: "Ridley, this one opens with a confident co-ed who is clearly scheming to get in the pants of open-minded freshmen women by preaching the virtues of birth control that he clearly has no intention of using, leading to his downfall." And while you're absolutely correct on that front, Dark here is very confident in the idea that it's not about what you tell or how you tell it, as the storytelling here is very patient with just where things are going to go for Jake as he sets his sights on the quiet and seemingly meek Sandra as his latest conquest. And indeed, through song, dance and amusingly acrobatic sex montage, we think we're getting to right when the story should take a turn for the worse, only for it hold off just a bit longer as we don't really have many indications as to where yet this will go. One has to imagine that the filmmakers here were writing and editing this story with a stopwatch on hand to pinpoint the exact time things needed to turn up a notch, and boy, do they ever after a trip to the doctor's office confirms that Jake has more to worry about than a treatable VD. From there, things get decidedly gooey as it becomes clear that there's only one way this will end for Jake for a comeuppance that needs to be seen to be believed in all its extremely NSFW glory. The humor is on point throughout to make this very entertaining, even as a fair few males watching this will definitely be screaming by the end of this.

Till Death: Things get substantially more serious here, as the hard cut from a happy wedding ceremony reveals a marriage that is ending in the most tragic way imaginable as the woman is dying from a terminal disease of unknown origin. Though not entirely bereft of gallows humor, the sterner content absolutely needed a more dramatic hand to guide it throughout as Wendell tries his best to make sure his wife Carol is as comfortable as she can be, even if it means unending bills, long and monotnous hours at work that turn to long and monotonous routines to make sure that his wife gets her proper care, and his wit's end was surely reached long before he was willing to admit to it. This one has a proper EC Comics edge to it, one that doesn't overly complicate the scenario but isn't afraid to get really, really nasty with just how Wendell attempts to give his wife peace, as the morality play of his selfishness ultimately being put first has him confronting a very literal deteriorating situation that has him wrestling with guilt and despair as he realizes what he's done and how much the one person he's done it to will never allow him to forget it. Some weak acting does spoil the overall effect that this has, but between its strong premise and an absolutely killer climax that acts as much as a hellish descent into sheer madness as it does as a grotesquely beautiful dance of the dead, it definitely feels like a winner through its sheer will alone. Definitely brace yourself for some troubling imagery and concepts, though, as this does not hold back in the slightest.

"The Babysitter Murders": Someone finally has a tale of their own to tell! A mini-slasher film ensues in this one, and it even gets a bit meta as the titular movie is playing on the TV at the same time everything is going down for our very diligent and well-prepared babysitter as an intruder finds themselves wandering into the house, with the young child's safety very much in the balance. With some very dynamic camerawork, absolutely bloody battles and one of the most impressive death scenes I've ever seen (ADI rarely has had the chance to show off quite like this before for non-creature work), one can take much away from it on is sheer technical proficiency alone and leave satisfied. But a much blacker heart pumps through this than one might initially realize, as the twists throughout reveal a genuine house of horrors by its conclusion, one that may very well upset a lot of folks for being both brave and certainly crazy enough to even attempt it, let alone pull it off in all its savagery. And with this being the last piece of the puzzle for the framing device as well, it gets you really damn interested to see just how it's all going to play out in the end if this is the kind of guts its willing to show as well as spill.

Overall: With how well connected the storytelling is throughout that powers the segments themselves and their ties to the strange on-boarding that Dark is putting Sam through, the conclusion being such a gloriously over the top and supremely satisfying answer to who had it right all along lands as hard as one would hope. It's hard not to imagine that writer/director Ryan Spindell wouldn't be getting a lot of calls at this point for a new feature, as he shows a very strong sense of technical aptitude with how much he was able to pull off here with fairly modest means, as well as the wicked wit and heart he has for the blacker humor and certainly the sterner content that you'll find throughout. And it goes without saying just how much Clancy Brown adds to this as Montgomery Dark, as he shows every step of the way why he quickly became one of the greatest of all character actors in genre films, relishing the opportunity to play such a funny character that nevertheless loses none of their sinister appeal as the story finally comes into full focus for a comeuppance of cosmic proportions. Though some of the segments are let down by weak acting and perhaps not doing enough to make the actors carry themselves in a more period appropriate way, the film is capable of making you laugh your head off while also having you gasp in shock at the willingness it has to take a much stronger direction than you may have ever expected in something that only seems like it's all fun and games on the surface, with some genuine moments of macabre beauty on display to have this punch well above its weight class. Time will tell if this turns out to be the instant cult classic some have already suggested that it is, but this is very much a rock solid anthology film that proves that it's never too late to surprise someone who only thinks they have it all figured out ahead of time.

 

[LazyLain]

Now that the month's over, time to sift through this entire thread and add hundreds of films to my Letterboxd watchlist...

 

[Penguin]

Been doing a piss poor job updating but as today is near the final day

2021

1. Silent Night, Deadly Night 5 (N)
2. Child's Play 2 (R)
3. Magic (N)
4. Annabelle (N)
5. Ouija (N)
6. Sinister (N)
7. Polaroid (N)
8. Cube (R)
9. Robert (N)
10. Pool Party Massacre (N)
11. Making Contact (N)
12. Demonic Toys (N)
13. Dollman vs Demonic Toys (R)
14. Stan Helsing (N)
15. Child's Play 3 (R)
16. Willy's Wonderland (N)
17. Annabelle Creation(N)
18. Puppet Master (N)
19. Puppet Master 2 (N)
20. Puppet Master 3 (N)
21. Puppet Master 4 (N)
22. Wolfcop (N)
23. Halloween Kills (N)
24. Ouija Origins of Evil (N)
25. Slumber Party Massacre 21 (N)
26. Scream (R)
27. Benny Love You (N)
28. Doll Graveyard (N)
29. Cooties (N)
30. Return of the Living Dead (N)
31. Land of the Dead (R)
32. Child's Play (R)
33. Puppet Master 5 (N)
34. Bride of Chucky (R)
35. Dead Silence (N)
36. There's Someone Inside Your House (N)
37. Demonic Toys 2 (N)
38. Final Destination (R)
39. Dolls (N)
40. Final Destination 3 (R)
41. Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys (N)
42. Final Destination 4 (R)
43. Monster House (R)
44. Chld's Play 19 (N)
45. Final Destination 5 (R)
46. Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (N)
47. Nightmare on Elm St (R)

I will say that the doll theme was a bit hit or miss, some really bad and dumb stuff. But I've also discovered some absolute gems in them. The Puppet Master series is uneven, but some really fun entries. Dead Silence is a delight. Magic is up there for me as just a good movie.

I also switched it up a bit near the end since Final Destination is leaving HBO MAx and wanted to revisit those movies. They can be fun, but sometimes the made up deaths are a bit too silly for my taste.

Click to shrink...

To add to it

48. The final films for the month were
49. Nobody Sleeps in the Woods (N)
50.Seed of Chucky (N)
51. The Strangers (R)
52. Freaky (R)

As a whole there were 35 new movies watched this month. Some real fun gems. The theme was uneven. But I had fun

 

[DarthSpider]

Well shit, I actually did it this year! 40 movies in total. This is the first year since my son was born 6 years ago that I've had the time (and energy) to finish. It was an excellent Halloween season to be sure, and the vast majority of my viewings this year were first time viewings. Thanks again to Z-Beat for taking over, and to ThirstyFly for starting such an awesome tradition on these boards. Can't wait til next year!

Postmortem
Full Series Watched: Child's Play (including the TV show and minus the remake), The Purge
Best & Worst Award: goes to Florence Pugh. Best for Midsommar, Worst for Malevolent (she was great, but the movie sucked)
Best Kill: The bread slicer kill from Fear Street 1994
Biggest Surprise: Black Christmas. It's a damn good movie. Morgot Kidder is hilarious in this.
Biggest Disappointment: Blair Witch (2016)
Finally Crossed Off My List of Shame: The Shining, Psycho, Get Out, Us, Hereditary, Midsommar, The Monster Squad
Scariest: Hereditary, easily
Best: Midsommar. This movie completely sucked me in. I know it didn't really have a happy ending, but I totally get the allure of being/staying in a place like that. The film did such a wonderful job of balancing terror and horrific traditions with a sense of serenity and belonging and beauty. The fact that I feel so strongly about this movie makes me wonder how susceptible I would be to something like this in real life, and that is kind of terrifying.

Spoiler: My 2021 List

*First time viewings
1. Child's Play
2. Child's Play 2
3. Child's Play 3
4. Bride of Chucky*
5. Seed of Chucky*
6. Curse of Chucky
7. Cult of Chucky*
8. The Purge*
9. The Purge: Anarchy*
10. The Purge: Election Year*
11. The First Purge*
12. The Forever Purge*
13. Get Out*
14. Us*
15. Halloween (2018)*
16. Halloween Kills*
17. Hotel Transylvania 2
18. Hotel Transylvania 3*
19. Psycho*
20. Blair Witch (2016)*
21. Suspiria (2018)*
22. The Lighthouse*
23. Hereditary*
24. Midsommar*
25. The Shining*
26. Doctor Sleep*
27. Fear Street 1994*
28. Fear Street 1978*
29. Fear Street 1666*
30. Malevolent*
31. Happy Death Day*
32. Candyman 2021*
33. The Monster Squad*
34. Sleepy Hollow
35. 3 From Hell*
36. Muppets Haunted Mansion*
37. Black Christmas (1977)*
38. The Nightmare Before Christmas
39. Trick r Treat
40. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark*

 

[Z-Beat]

Just wanted to say thank you to all those who participated this year! I hope you all had an awesome time and saw some good films!

 

[Ridley327]

I'm just glad to have eradicated my backlog for horror at long last! I can't wait to get back to doing actual programming again, and going through the backlog this year has given me an idea or two that I'll explore...