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

[Rhaknar]

52 - Voices 3/5

Pretty good dark comedy (I guess? definitely more dark than comedy) about a guy that hears his pets talking to him and eventually veers into killing people. Cool premise and Reynolds is fantastic in it (as both the MC and the pet voices, especially the cat, I actually couldn't tell it was him until I looked it up), and the movie goes very dark after a slow start, and as I was very ready to really enjoy it and give it a easy 4/5, unfortunately it doesn't stick the landing and the ending is very flat (I especially hated the little dance number during the credits). It should have leaned in to how dark it got with a much darker ending, as it stands, it's still very much worth a watch, but it left me disappointed. And movies that leave me disappointed get 3 :p

List

 

[excelsiorlef]

81. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail 1971

An absolute giallo gem, tight, twisty, but with motives that felt earned.

Charming Charming Charming.

5 outta 5

 

[atdawnwestrike]

43. The Burning (1981) (Rewatch) 5/5
Brutal and sleazy 80's camp slasher and a defining horror movie for me. The cast is actually good and not just by 80's slasher standards, the effects are great and the cinematography is surprisingly well done. The raft scene alone makes it worth a watch.

 

[More_Badass]

43. The Burning (1981) (Rewatch) 5/5
Brutal and sleazy 80's camp slasher and a defining horror movie for me. The cast is actually good and not just by 80's slasher standards, the effects are great and the cinematography is surprisingly well done. The raft scene alone makes it worth a watch.

Click to shrink...

This, Just Before Dawn, and Grave Robbers are my favorite Friday The 13th movies.

 

[Violence Jack]

#35 - The Church (1989)

I've watched this movie at least once a year over time, and I can't figure out why it's so compelling to me. The story is incoherent rubbish, the soundtrack is one of the weaker offerings from Goblin, it's full of plot holes, and there were 8 fucking writers on this thing. And despite what director Michele Soavi says, I think it's pretty clear that this was (and still works as) a prequel to the Demons movies. But the reason why I like this movie when I really shouldn't is because I love how it doesn't care that it's batshit crazy from start to finish. The gore effects are also pretty good, and the craziness gets so hard to follow that it comes off like a fever dream.

#36 - Vamp

Still one of my favorite vampire films. It's funny, insane, gory, and features Grace Jones as the most terrifying vampire I have ever laid eyes upon. It's a less crude precursor to From Dusk Till Dawn, and in some ways I still prefer this over that film. This film also holds a special place in my heart because it's scarred me for life when I watched it (edited) on TV back in 1987-88, and it has never left my mind over 30 years later.

 

[excelsiorlef]

the soundtrack is one of the weaker offerings from Goblin,

Click to shrink...

Probably because Goblin didn't technically do La Chiesa XD

It's a hodgepodge of Keith Emerson's mostly rejected score (3 tracks in the movie), some Phillip Glass (2 tracks) and the rest was solo composition from Goblin Bassist Fabio Pignatelli who had the rights to the Goblin name so credited himself as Goblin for the movie lol

That said I'm with ya La Chiesa is awesome, i first watched it on a bus during, one of my many cross Canada greyhound trips, on a portable dvd player XD

 

[Serule]

This thread has been very helpful in giving me a list of movies to watch. In particular, I love 80's horror films (mostly because of the practical effects).

Randomly picking movies on Amazon Prime, we ended up with "Dead and Buried" (1981) a few weeks ago and I was really impressed. It's been mentioned a few times in this thread. There are a couple of scenes in that movie that are haunting. The opening is surprising, and the follow-up with the car fire was shocking. And nobody forgets the syringe scene.

Last weekend we watched "The Brain" (1988). It was bad in some of they ways I like? A giant alien brain is mind-controlling people; sometimes killing them by giving them hallucinations. Later in the film it gets directly involved in the action and eats some people. I can't at all say it was good but I did not regret spending my time with it. It does have David Gale as a crazy doctor, I've seen him in three films, and in every one he ends up with

Spoiler

head separated from body

 

[Violence Jack]

Probably because Goblin didn't technically do La Chiesa XD

It's a hodgepodge of Keith Emerson's mostly rejected score (3 tracks in the movie), some Phillip Glass (2 tracks) and the rest was solo composition from Goblin Bassist Fabio Pignatelli who had the rights to the Goblin name so credited himself as Goblin for the movie lol

That said I'm with ya La Chiesa is awesome, i first watched it on a bus during, one of my many cross Canada greyhound trips, on a portable dvd player XD

Click to shrink...

I swear I learn some new fact about this movie each time I watch it.

 

[excelsiorlef]

82. Candyman 1992

A basically perfect Urban Folklore Horror.

Just a phenomenal performance from Todd.

It's engaging and violent, but never gratuitous.

Grounded and fantastical simultaneously

5 outta 5

 

[Rhomega]

22. House of Dracula (1946)

This is just a meh movie. Lawrence Talbot and Dracula are back from the dead, Visuals are nice following up after House of Frankenstein, Frankenstein's monster is in this too, I guess.

 

[wenis]

52. Unhinged [1982]

This was pretty bad. The weird twist and all I just didnt really dig on and it was awfully slow for a pretty short movie (80 minutes). There's some cool death gags and plenty of blood. Maybe it would work better as a rowdy crowd midnite feature, but this one really didnt have anything to really dig in on and wasnt very compelling to watch. Cool poster though.

1 and a half 🌠 out of 5

53. Body Snatchers [1993]

This was a nice re-work of the Body Snatchers premise. Cool setting that I dont think gets full utilized in an interesting way, but I dug all the actors and the performances, the snatcher effects were real nice and slimy looking and I think it kept in line with the previous two iterations of the same premise. I'm choosing to believe all three movies take place concurrently within the same world and its just the same incident being played out with various groups around the country and the same time. I dug it.

3 and a half 🌠 out of 5

54. The Fly II [1989]

This was a lot of fun! It felt like it's been forever since I've seen Daphne Zuniga in anything (even though going by her IMDB she is very active still), but this was a big fun picture. I'm kinda curious about getting into the rest of the series at this point now. The bug effects were sick, the deaths were the best (that elevator gag is probably one of my favorites of all of horror) and the plot while just treading the same water at least moved at a brisk pace and I never felt bored by anything going on screen. Good good guys and good bad guys all around. Ending was kinda soft, definitely a studio choice ending.

3 and a half 🌠 out of 5

55. The Green Knight [2021]

I love this movie. I dont think there really is a weak link in the cast, the cinematography, the music or the pacing (the most minor of quibbles is maybe not getting to stay in the castle just a bit longer and play around with the eroticism a bit more), but otherwise its a brilliant adventure deliberately paced and I enjoyed how the put these other side quests and really played up the fanciful nature of the adventure. Probably my most favorite of the Arthurian adaptations.

4 and a half 🌠 out of 5

56. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge [1985]

Still just as weird and queer and fanciful as it ever was. Maybe I still dont quite dig that they break the immersion of Freddy coming into the real world to attack the kids at the party, but its such a small issue in the overall quality of the rest of the movie. It's still a lot of fun and broad while also its own singular work divorced from the rest of the Freddy world.

3 and a half 🌠 out of 5

57. Blair Witch [2016]

I didnt quite think I'd hate this one as much as I did, but I did. I can say it was a movie at the end of the day and I guess it accomplished what it wanted to in its runtime, but was any of it really worth it? Did it just kinda sit there and take this movie and its stupid characters and this deeply unneeded exploration of the lore of the witch (and seeing the witch?!) zero tension, zero scares and no fun. What a waste of time for me and the production.

1 🌠 out of 5

58. The Sacrament [2016]

This was alright. I wish it were a bit longer tbh, there's basically no build up to the cult. we just kinda have to take the characters at their word that this whole scenario is creepy. like we should know its creepy in general. its a cult, but they dont sell it at all in the movie. Zero tension in anything going on until the end, but even then its like I dont really care about the cult members, I dont get anything about dynamics going on in the cult. It really kinda wants you to know a lot about cults going in (which yea I do), but then it just drops the ball every which way. The only compelling figure is the cult leader, but that's more on the performance and not at all to do with the script. Just a poor attempt at building a fictional story around the Peoples Temple in the dryest, least frightening way possible.

2 and a half 🌠 out of 5

59. Madhouse [1981]

This was pretty neat little movie. Just a very slow one that has a big flourish of an end that kinda made the ride worth it, but man, I just needed a bit more meat on the bones of this one. I dug the dog stuff and how silly that all ended, but that ending is the real kicker here you're waiting for. The rest of the movie is fine, empty, but fine.

2 and a half 🌠 out of 5

60. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors [1987]

Now this one was still just as much fun as part is. I still laugh that all the kids get bodied basically despite their powers in the dreams they just didnt stand a chance. a goofy and fun movie that basically sets up how Freddy and the movies are going to be going forward. a dumb fun time with probably the best kills of the series I think.

3 and a half 🌠 : out of 5

 

[excelsiorlef]

83. Candyman: Farwell to the Flesh 1995

A massive massive massive drop in quality.

What was once grounded is now floating freely in air.

To boot it also feels like a total retread of the first.

The Urban Folklore is mostly gone, the film is in a city but the city serves little except backdrop.

The movie does very little with New Orleans

Disappointing.

But it's still a very well shot, stylish flick
2.5 Outta 5

 

[Oneiros]

18. Annabelle: Creation (2017)(Blu Ray)(Rewatch)

This is a far better movie than the original. It has effective scares, but very little story. It's more a set of loosely-connected setpieces. It reminds me of the recent It movies in that way.

19. Frankenhooker (1990)(Shudder)

Once I saw the Troma logo pop up, I said aloud "Oh noooo…". I've only seen one of their movies (Toxic Avenger), but I was not a fan and I know the studio's reputation for making intentionally bad/crude films.

Saying that though, I kinda enjoyed my time with Frankenhooker. It feels like it was written by a teenage boy, but it's so absurd at points that it's genuinely funny. I couldn't help but chuckle at the pudgy middle aged guy super eager to have a session with Frankenhooker or the doctor crawling through a tunnel of prostitutes' legs inspecting them with his instruments or super crack. I don't think the doctor getting his comeuppance at the end is fooling anyone into thinking this is a feminist movie.

20. Hatchet (2006)(Plex)

I thought my night of campiness was over after Frankenhooker, but then oh boy, I watched Hatchet. I knew this was a throwback slasher, so I was expecting it to feel like an unlicensed Friday the 13th. What it really feels like is a Syfy original movie.

The first half of the movie is made to seem like a wacky Mardi Gras trip, complete with parody-level whimsical soundtrack. There are a couple of silly cameos by Robert Englund and Tony Todd. Then we get to the doomed swamp tour where things take a turn into gory mayhem. The characters in the movie are slasher stereotypes dialed up to 11. Even when the bloodshed starts, the antics don't stop. They deviate from kinda funny to cringeworthy.

The kills in Hatchet, especially the first 2 when Crowley shows up, are pretty gnarly. The filmmakers knew what horror fans wanted to see and they delivered. The rest of the movie is meh. The swamp sets look pretty awful. Victor Crowley is a poor Jason Voorhees replacement. Overall, the film just doesn't have the vibes and rewatchability of a classic slasher. I don't know if the sequels got any better.

 

[CapNBritain]

26. Stagefright (1987, streaming on Tubi) 3.5/5
I really enjoyed this one. I loved the opening and it really set the tone. There's something about the setting, with its interpersonal relationships and pressures, that sucked me in and kept me engaged. The visuals are perfect and the music atmospheric. When shit finally pops off it gets pretty intense. The climax could be a little better, but Willie was clutch so I guess there's that.

Previous movies:
1. Critters (1986, streaming on HBO Max) 2.5/5
2. Slumber Party Massacre 2 (1987, streaming on Tubi) 2.5/5
3. The Brood (1979, streaming on HBO Max) 5/5
4. Return of the Living Dead (1985, streaming on HBO Max) 4.5/5
5. Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993, streaming on HBO Max) 2.5/5
6. The Wicker Man (1973, streaming on Amazon Prime) 4/5
7. Candyman (1992, streaming on Tubi) 5/5
8. Suspiria (1977, streaming on Tubi) 3.5/5
9. Ghoulies (1985, streaming on HBO Max) 1/5
10. Friday the 13th Part 4 (1984, streaming on Paramount+) 3/5
11. Friday the 13th Part 5 (1985, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
12. Friday the 13th Part 6 (1986, streaming on Peacock) 3/5
13. Friday the 13th Part 7 (1988, streaming on Peacock) 2/5
14. Friday the 13th Part 8 (1989, streaming on Peacock) 1.5/5
15. Friday the 13th (2009, streaming on HBO Max) 3.5/5
16. Videodrome (1983, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
17. Dead Ringers (1988, streaming on Peacock) 4/5
18. Sleepaway Camp 2 (1988, streaming on Amazon Prime) 4.5/5
19. Sleepaway Camp 3 (1989, streaming on Pluto TV) 3/5
20. Dolls (1986, streaming on Amazon Prime) 3/5
21. Madhouse (1981, streaming on Tubi) 4/5
22. The People Under the Stairs (1991, streaming on Peacock) 4/5
23. Black Christmas (2019, streaming on HBO Max) 4.5/5
24. Curse of Chucky (2013, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
25. Cult of Chucky (2017, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5

 

[excelsiorlef]

26. Stagefright (1987, streaming on Rubi) 3.5/5
I really enjoyed this one. I loved the opening and it really set the tone. There's something about the setting, with its interpersonal relationships and pressures, that sucked me in and kept me engaged. The visuals are perfect and the music atmospheric. When shit finally pops off it gets pretty intense. The climax could be a little better, but Willie was clutch so I guess there's that.

Click to shrink...

It's outstanding. One of the best giallos

Also cool another movie on this page that I watched on a portable dvd player on a bus trip across Canada.

Incidentally same director as The Church the other bus movie on this page)

Oh and also Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) a brilliant Rupert Everett lead flick... WHICH EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH

 

[THErest]

31 -- Halloween III: Season of the Witch

(rewatch)
I'm going to keep at it past 31, but I wanted the big #31 to be one of my annual traditional rewatches (that is, a selection of movies that are called Halloween), so I went with this and the original will be for actual Halloween night.

This one gets a bad rap, but has also developed into something of a cult hit. I suppose it was outright dismissed back in the day for not featuring Michael Myers at all, but nowadays people give it a try and find it's actually a pretty sweet little horror flick. Sure, the plot is fucking crazy and dumb, but we're talking about 80s horror, are we not?

And it's good! It's better than, I'd say, most of what you'd find from the time. It's got a real seasonal/halloween sort of vibe, which is part of why it's an annual rewatch for me. It's goddamned bonkers, bizarre, violent. It's got an awesome Carpenter score. It's got Tom Atkins (whose character only gets involved because he wouldn't mind maybe banging the grieving daughter of a murder victim who he didn't even know). It's got Dan O'Herlihy. It's got cool Halloween masks (with the most best TV commercial and jingle that is really just London Bridge). I love it.

If that's not enough, it's also got

Spoiler: stuff that is in the movie

bugs, snakes, robot murder, laser bursts, matching suits, tricks, treats, Stone Henge, shamrocks, Irish immigrants, a creepy factory town, and amateur sleuthing.

All things any good 80s movie should feature. Especially horror.

Spoiler: previous entry

30 -- Sleepy Hollow

(rewatch)
I've only seen this a couple of times. It's Burton, it's dark, it's gorgeous, the settings are amazing, the violence is swift and plentiful. So. Many. Decapitations.

It's a lot of fun seeing so many cool actors (pedo notwithstanding) together in this period pop horror flick. Johnny Depp is great in that he is....so normal relative to his future roles. But still weird and fun! Recommend!

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[CapNBritain]

It's outstanding. One of the best giallos

Also cool another movie on this page that I watched on a portable dvd player on a bus trip across Canada.

Incidentally same director as The Church the other bus movie on this page)

Oh and also Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man) a brilliant Rupert Everett lead flick... WHICH EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the recommendations! I added The Church to my list but wasn't able to find Cemetary Man streaming on the usual platforms.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Thanks for the recommendations! I added The Church to my list but wasn't able to find Cemetary Man streaming on the usual platforms.

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Damn Cemetery Man is the greatest :(

 

[sigma722]

Big Olllll' Catchup.. Went on vacation, still managed to watch a few though:

17) The Toxic Avenger (1984) - pretty fun flick. lots of gore and good comedy. Enjoyed it. 7.5/10

18) VHS 94 (2021) - mostly meh. some good stuff here and there. 5.5/10

19) Halloween 4 (1988) - Watched this over the course of a couple evenings after drinks. It was pretty fun. 6/10

20) A Classic Horror Story (2021) - This had a pretty good start to it, and I was digging it, but as it went on I cared a bit less and less. 6/10

21) Dead Silence (2007) - I thought I'd seen this before, but turns out I hadn't, so at least that was a fun surprise. It started off decent, had kind of a crappy middle, and then ended in a way that I enjoyed. The ending bumped it up slightly even lol. 6.5/10

22) The Owners (2020) - This one was pretty decent as well. I really liked the female "owner", she played her part very well. 7/10

23) Ma (2019) - I liked this okay. 6/10

24) Hush (2016) - I thought I had seen this before but decided to "watch it again" and turns out I hadn't seen it either. It was pretty good as well. Seems like I like most of Flannigan's movies, so no surprise there. 7/10

Also would hopefully write a tiny bit more if I was able to post more frequently for these... maybe. IDK. Yeah, my summaries kind of suck. Sorry lol. Hopefully will be getting back on more frequent posting since I'm home again.

 

[jph139]

Movie 22 | Rogue, 2007

Was definitely in the mood for a "killer crocodile" movie, and this one scratches the itch. Crew on a boat tour in remote Australian wilderness end up trapped on an island, hunted by a gigantic crocodile, as the tide slowly comes in. People get eaten. Good times all around.

It's not particularly ambitious, but I appreciate how grounded it was, relatively speaking. Doesn't ever get too clever or campy. The croc is huge, but it never feels implausibly big, and they're wisely restrained with the CG for most of the runtime. The cast looks and acts like the gaggle of tourists you'd expect, diverse in temperament without anyone feeling like a caricature. It does drift a little too far into conventional "man vs. croc" action near the end, but eh, what are you gonna do?

Fun role for a pre-Avatar Sam Worthington, too!

 

[hiredhand]

19.The Nightingale (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2018)
Brutal revenge thriller set in 1825 Tasmania by the director of The Babadook. I wish there were more genre pictures with a more rarely seen historical setting like this, Apocalypto or The Pathfinder. The leads are both excellent and film is beautiful to look at. The pacing could have been a bit tighter as the film begins to lose steam in the last third.
8/10

20. The Tingler (dir. William Castle, 1959)
What an absolutely silly plot for a film (even by 1950's horror standards). Still I can't say that I didn't enjoy the film in all its over-the-top William Castle -gimmickry. Price is always enjoyable in these sort of films.
7/10

 

[CapNBritain]

27. Beyond Re-Animator (2003, streaming on Tubi) 2/5
I love the original Re-Animator and liked a lot of Bride, but knew going in that this one probably wasn't going to be great. Still, even with my lowered expectations this movie managed to surprise and entertain me. The story is terrible, as is the acting, especially from the female lead, but there is still a lot of the silliness and gore that the franchise is known for. That bumps it up from a 1.5 for me, even if much of it isn't very good.

Previous movies:
1. Critters (1986, streaming on HBO Max) 2.5/5
2. Slumber Party Massacre 2 (1987, streaming on Tubi) 2.5/5
3. The Brood (1979, streaming on HBO Max) 5/5
4. Return of the Living Dead (1985, streaming on HBO Max) 4.5/5
5. Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993, streaming on HBO Max) 2.5/5
6. The Wicker Man (1973, streaming on Amazon Prime) 4/5
7. Candyman (1992, streaming on Tubi) 5/5
8. Suspiria (1977, streaming on Tubi) 3.5/5
9. Ghoulies (1985, streaming on HBO Max) 1/5
10. Friday the 13th Part 4 (1984, streaming on Paramount+) 3/5
11. Friday the 13th Part 5 (1985, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
12. Friday the 13th Part 6 (1986, streaming on Peacock) 3/5
13. Friday the 13th Part 7 (1988, streaming on Peacock) 2/5
14. Friday the 13th Part 8 (1989, streaming on Peacock) 1.5/5
15. Friday the 13th (2009, streaming on HBO Max) 3.5/5
16. Videodrome (1983, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
17. Dead Ringers (1988, streaming on Peacock) 4/5
18. Sleepaway Camp 2 (1988, streaming on Amazon Prime) 4.5/5
19. Sleepaway Camp 3 (1989, streaming on Pluto TV) 3/5
20. Dolls (1986, streaming on Amazon Prime) 3/5
21. Madhouse (1981, streaming on Tubi) 4/5
22. The People Under the Stairs (1991, streaming on Peacock) 4/5
23. Black Christmas (2019, streaming on HBO Max) 4.5/5
24. Curse of Chucky (2013, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
25. Cult of Chucky (2017, streaming on Peacock) 3.5/5
26. Stagefright (1987, streaming on Tubi) 3.5/5

 

[Irmavep]

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)
I can't deny how the twist in the opening got me. Blowing up Jason with a tactical missile strike was hilarious. But then again, any goodwill brought by the over the top intro disappeared soon after. Even with the villain absent, his possessed victims do the same bad directed and edited killings of horny youths intercalated with pauses for exposition. There's something bizarre in reproducing the structure of every Jason movie but with zero iconography until the final confrontation.
Speaking of which, now under the New Line Cinema banner, there's plenty of direct full frame in your face references to other horror series. Not the cute moment where a girl named Nancy has a bad dream in Part 6, now we have a character actually holding the Necronomicon from Evil Dead. Strangely, that causes an early 90s production to feel very fresh. The excessive display of the all might intellectual property of today finds echoes in Final Friday. I can only imagine how the movie would be reframed by publicity and marketing if it was a recent release.
Another one in the long list of bad Friday the 13th, but I'm fascinated by it.

 

[More_Badass]

19.The Nightingale (dir. Jennifer Kent, 2018)
Brutal revenge thriller set in 1825 Tasmania by the director of The Babadook. I wish there were more genre pictures with a more rarely seen historical setting like this, Apocalypto or The Pathfinder. The leads are both excellent and film is beautiful to look at. The pacing could have been a bit tighter as the film begins to lose steam in the last third.
8/10

Click to shrink...

Got a few for you:

Iceman - Neolithic revenge thriller
Escape/Flukt - Medieval Norway chase-action
The Dead Lands - Tribal Maori revenge actioner

 

[Pitcairn55]

Film #34 – Madres

Set in the late 1970s, Madres is the story of a young couple - heavily pregnant Diana and her husband Beto - who move from Los Angeles to the rural Californian town of Golden Valley to try and make their fortunes. It soon becomes apparent that all is not well among the Mexican population of Golden Valley, with many believing there is a curse on the land that is stopping the women having babies. Diana also comes to believe her house is cursed, and you can't really blame her, considering all the ghostly visions she's been having, plus the eyeballs suspended in the shrubbery don't help.

This is a good looking, well made film with a strong cast and an interesting story. While there are a few vaguely creepy moments, easily the most horrifying (and enraging) thing in the film is the element which is based on real events, and which the film elaborates on in a shocking postscript.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

Films I've watched so far

 

[coma]

25. Human Lanterns (1982, Sun Chung) ★★★★

I wish there was a bit more to the horror elements, but it's a fun/weird mix of genres.

 

[LazyLain]

Doing a massive 128-film horror marathon/tournament was a fun idea, but I've decided to throw in the towel at 80. While I'm certainly still interested in watching the rest of the movies eventually, for the time being I've gotten a little burnt out... I could force myself to continue and just power through, but that would only be doing myself and the remaining films a disservice.

Since my tournament's a bust, instead I'll be doing a tier list of sorts for the 80 films I watched as a final wrap-up... I'll post that sometime in the coming days.

Anyway, here's what I've watched since my previous post:

Dead Ringers (1988) - A weird, unsettling, and ultimately tragic tale... and easily the most grounded Cronenberg film I've seen so far (though likely to be out-grounded by Eastern Promises and A History of Violence once I get around to 'em). Great performances by Jeremy Irons.

Life (2017) - Similar to Alien, but much closer to home. Enjoyable, even if the crew's boneheadedness was quite frustrating at times.

Don't Look Now (1973) - Maybe I just went into this one with too high of expectations, or maybe I just wasn't in the right headspace... whatever the case, not bad but I found it fairly underwhelming. Definitely one for me to take another crack at in the future.

Seeds (1968) - Meh.

Altered States (1980) - This one's a trip... *ba dum tss*. Though the premise is a little too far-fetched for me to take wholly serious, the great acting and fun visuals helped a lot to keep me invested.

Evil Dead Trap / 死霊の罠 (1988) - What a pleasant surprise this one was, very fun. My expectations were pretty low, but this would've exceeded them even if they were markedly higher.

Piranha (1978) - Very upfront about its Jaws inspiration, but still managed to be surprisingly enjoyable despite the piranhas being more giggle-inducing than terrifying. I'm quite interested in checking out the follow-up to see how bad of a train wreck it is.

The Stepford Wives (1975) - While a bit slow-paced, it comes together for a suspenseful climax... even if I already knew the big reveal.

Hitcher in the Dark (1989) - I went in expecting this to be sleazy trash, and that it definitely was... but it wasn't as dire as I had anticipated. Also, for a movie called "Hitcher in the Dark", it sure was bright and sunny for most of the film's duration. Anyway, it was silly and mildly enjoyable.

The Wailing / 곡성 (2016) - This is definitely another one I'm gonna need to revisit... I enjoyed it well enough as I was watching it, but I think fatigue exacerbated by the long runtime prevented me from appreciating this one fully on my first viewing. Or maybe it's just the kind of film that needs multiple viewings for it to completely sink in.

In a Glass Cage / Tras el cristal (1986) - A gorgeous and highly disturbing film with great performances across the board... though it did have me questioning ethics regarding child actors.

Possessor (2020) - Fun premise, and Brandon definitely takes after his dad in the visuals department (much to my delight). Really good, and I'll definitely be looking forward to more films from Cronenberg Jr.

 

[tryagainlater]

#22. Children of the Corn - Filled with a lot of bad kid acting, this film is mostly pretty boring. It doesn't feel like it has enough material for one feature film, let alone the ten sequels they made apparently. I actually thought this was a different film going in. I remember a Simpsons reference to a film about scary children with glowy eyes so I was waiting the entire film for the glowy eyes to show up. Googling afterwards, I seem to have been thinking of a film called Village of the Damned. Hopefully, that's a better film because Children of the Corn sucked.

 

[excelsiorlef]

#22. Children of the Corn - Filled with a lot of bad kid acting, this film is mostly pretty boring. It doesn't feel like it has enough material for one feature film, let alone the ten sequels they made apparently. I actually thought this was a different film going in. I remember a Simpsons reference to a film about scary children with glowy eyes so I was waiting the entire film for the glowy eyes to show up. Googling afterwards, I seem to have been thinking of a film called Village of the Damned. Hopefully, that's a better film because Children of the Corn sucked.

Click to shrink...

Watch 3!

Only 3

Don't watch 2,4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10

Well 2 is ok

But 3 is corn in the city

 

[Conditional-Pancakes]

22. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

• Rating: 2 missing body parts out of 10

• Synopsis: "A stressed-out police officer struggles not to give in to the paranoia that grips his small mountain town as bodies turn up after each full moon."

Horror movies with werewolves aren't usually my favorites. I think there are only two werewolf movies I really liked, Ginger Snaps and An American Werewolf in London. But I heard great things about The Wolf of Snow Hollow, so I decided to give it a try.

And, uh... It wasn't good at all. The writing is awful, the comedic aspects are bad, the editing is weird, the acting is thoroughly unconvincing... We're flirting dangerously close to made-for-TV quality here. All of this makes the main mystery so boring. And the repeated attempts to explore the personal issues of the protagonist are all unconvincing at best, which makes the ending feel extremely unwarranted. This film is so incapable of building any kind of tension that I was completely checked out by the end.

Because I really love movies it's pretty rare for me to feel that way, but this thing was a complete waste of 84 minutes.

Now I need a drink.


---

Other movies I watched this month:

1. The Innocents (1961)
2. The Haunting (1963)
3. The Haunting (1999)
4. Starry Eyes (2014)
5. Are We Not Cats (2016)
6. Spring (2014)
7. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
8. The Night House (2021)
9. A Dark Song (2016)
10. V/H/S/94 (2021)
11. There's Someone Inside Your House (2021)
12. The Craft (1996)
13. The Craft: Legacy (2020)
14. The Manor (2021)
15. Evil Dead (2013)
16. The Columnist (2019)
17. Raw (2016)
18. Titane (2021)
19. The Nightingale (2018)
20. Scream (1996)
21. Magic Magic (2013)

Click to shrink...

 

[tryagainlater]

Watch 3!

Only 3

Don't watch 2,4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10

Well 2 is ok

But 3 is corn in the city

Click to shrink...

What about 11?

 

[excelsiorlef]

What about 11?

Click to shrink...

11 only had a 2 theater run in Sarasota last year and hasn't seen daylight since

 

[Ithil]

20) A Bay of Blood (1970)

Bye, squonk.

The good news is the remastered version I saw looks terrific, a crisp and detailed picture. The bad news is it's only available in English dub.

Now I've heard worse dubs, much worse, but this was just an average one. There's a few weak performers but it's watchable. It sort of adds to the film's already mildly campy feel. As far as giallo sub-genre goes this is a clear proto-slasher. Actually there's not much proto about it, this is a slasher film, one I can see now was mined liberally by the 80s slashers in the US (down to ripping off individual kills). It's all about the body count and felt a little more trashy than Blood and Black Lace and Bird with the Crystal Plumage. It's definitely a bit of a step down in quality, featuring a very convoluted plot with multiple schemes by a horde of characters colliding in the titular bay. It's kind of hard to follow in fact, especially when a bulk of the exposition winds up dumped on you in several flashbacks at the end. The rest of the film is filled with gore, some which shows its age in HD, but a few deaths that still look gnarly (like a rather gross decapitation kill).

There's a whole section early on with some hapless partying teens showing up to take up 20 minutes of screentime as fodder for the killer. I think it might serve as a condensed summary of every Friday the 13th film up til Part 4 a decade early. Regardless, as slashers go this is a good one. Obviously far more well shot and edited than the average American slasher that followed in its wake, particularly the great opening scene which feels a lot more like Black Lace with a slow, moody killpiece. Actually there's a terrific subversion here, which is impressive given the genre was still young in 1970. The opening kill has occurred and the culprit appears with a closeup of their requisite black leather gloves. That would be three for three for me so far this week...but then they remove the gloves, showing it to be a male, and then shows his face! In the very first scene. But of course, the scene isn't quite over yet. It's some very cute playing off expectations.

So, high art it is not. But as a early slasher it's a pretty good one with some standout scenes.

By the way, the original English release title for this film was TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE, which is just an amazing title.

 

[excelsiorlef]

84. Candyman: Day of the Dead

Both sequels are essentially remakes of the original , each worse than the previous entry and each time the blonde protagonist gets worse.

At least 2 was competently made

This one has nothing and an annoying goth cult too.

What a sad state after how brilliant the original is

0.5 outta 5

 

[Star-Lord]

Just finsihed watching this and it starts off decent and then it goes fucking crazy the farther it goes on and the last 30 minutes is pure tension. I would highly recommend this!

 

[gforguava]

Night Teeth (2021, Netflix)

A perfectly fine little film. Won't be anyone's new favorite but it is a nicely paced little flick, with a really likable trio of actors anchoring it. Minor quibbles abound but it is nice to see something this slight also work this well(the biggest problem with the film is really the need for a big confrontation at the end and everything that comes with that).

 

[deimosmasque]

1 - RE-ANIMATOR ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2 - DEEP RED ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3 - TROMA'S WAR ⭐⭐
4 - DEAD HEAT ⭐⭐⭐
5 - V/H/S/94 ⭐⭐⭐
6 - ANGEL ⭐⭐⭐⭐
7 - MAYHEM ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8 - HOGZILLA ⭐⭐
9 - HALLOWEEN (1978) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
10 - HALLOWEEN (2018) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
11 - BRIDE OF CHUCKY ⭐⭐⭐⭐
12 - TERROR TRAIN ⭐⭐⭐
13 - SEED OF CHUCKY ⭐⭐⭐
14 - SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE 2 ⭐⭐⭐
15 - HALLOWEEN KILLS ⭐⭐⭐
16 - HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
17 - HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN ⭐⭐⭐
18 - SUSPIRIA ⭐⭐⭐⭐

19 - CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST ⭐⭐⭐

It's not for the squeamish. It's not for the horror enthusiasts. It's not really for anyone. This mock mondo cannibal snuff film lives up to it's reputation and so much more.

If you've never seen it, it is worse than you think it is. If you ever want to watch it, take it from this aging Drive-in mutant, be prepared for something worse than your expectations.

I still like it, but I'm a freak.

In reality it's well directed, interestingly shot for a mock mondo, and the framing device worked so well that the director was literally charged with the murder of the actors.

But having said all that. This is the emperor of exploitation films. It's racist, sexist, animal cruel, contains rape and ultra gore. Not for the faint of heart.

 

[Violence Jack]

19 - CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST ⭐⭐⭐

It's not for the squeamish. It's not for the horror enthusiasts. It's not really for anyone. This mock mondo cannibal snuff film lives up to it's reputation and so much more.

If you've never seen it, it is worse than you think it is. If you ever want to watch it, take it from this aging Drive-in mutant, be prepared for something worse than your expectations.

I still like it, but I'm a freak.

In reality it's well directed, interestingly shot for a mock mondo, and the framing device worked so well that the director was literally charged with the murder of the actors.

But having said all that. This is the emperor of exploitation films. It's racist, sexist, animal cruel, contains rape and ultra gore. Not for the faint of heart.

Click to shrink...

I watched it for the first time during the marathon last year. And while it only got like a 6/10 from me, it was definitely the movie that stayed on my mind the most. I also had a guide that told me the points to skip past if I wanted to avoid seeing the animal death scenes, so I thankfully missed most of it (aside from the muskrat). Without those animal scenes, as well as the real execution footage, I probably would've liked it a lot more for what it was.

 

[excelsiorlef]

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST ⭐⭐⭐

Click to shrink...

Now watch Cannibal Apocalypse aka the movie John Saxton signed on for thinking it was some virus based horror commentary on Vietnam War and didn't discover it was a Cannibal movie until mid shoot

 

[deimosmasque]

Now watch Cannibal Apocalypse aka the movie John Saxton signed on for thinking it was some virus based horror commentary on Vietnam War and didn't discover it was a Cannibal movie until mid shoot

Click to shrink...

Heh. I have. This was my third time watching Cannibal Holocaust. I skipped it earlier because my partner wasn't sure they could handle it and decided to try it today.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Oh right Cannibal Holocaust is the one where they killed an actual snake with an actual machete

I couldn't remember if that was Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Apocalypse, or Cannibal Ferox

 

[Ridley327]

Of all the animals that get killed in Cannibal Holocaust, the snake is the one that stuck out?!

 

[Junior Asparagus]

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

I had added this to my watchlist as an acclaimed classic I'd never seen. I vaguely knew that Bette Davis and Joan Crawford feuded on the set, but didn't know much else. I was a little surprised that it came up in the horror genre as I was searching for Halloween films to watch, so I figured now was as good a time as any.

It's not quite horror as we know it today, but it is full of suspense and psychological and some physical torture. Psycho was kind of the origin of the modern horror movie and I feel like this film has some similar elements, albeit with a much lower body count. Davis and Crawford are both incredible in two very different roles. There still weren't many movies like this at the time, and it's great to see two aging screen legends take a juicy story and tear up the screen.

 

[excelsiorlef]

Of all the animals that get killed in Cannibal Holocaust, the snake is the one that stuck out?!

Click to shrink...

Yeah because it's such a nondescript shot

Just wack , thud, and snake is two parts

Oh right they murder a turtle too

 

[coma]

The most offensive part of Cannibal Holocaust is how ineptly made it is.

 

[deimosmasque]

Oh right Cannibal Holocaust is the one where they killed an actual snake with an actual machete

I couldn't remember if that was Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Apocalypse, or Cannibal Ferox
[/

Click to shrink...

Yeah they blur together.

The most offensive part of Cannibal Holocaust is how ineptly made it is.

Click to shrink...

In all the complaints and criticism I've heard of for this movie "ineptly made" isn't one of them.

 

[Jimi D]

1. Horror Express (1973)
2. I Walked With a Zombie (1943)
3. The Ghoul (1933)
4. Dagon (2001)
5. Dead of Night (1945)
6. Sea Fever (2019)
7. Portrait of Jennie (1948)
8. Deathwatch (2002)
9. Lemora - A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1973)
10. Count Yorga, Vampire (1970)
11. All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos (2005)
12. Razorback (1984)
13. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
14. The Invisible Man (1933)
15. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
16. Kwaidan (1965)
17. The Black Cat (1934)
18. Lifeforce (1985)
19. Island of Lost Souls (1932)
20. Sputnik (2020)
21. Werewolves Within (2021)
22. The Craft (1996)
23. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
24. Dog Soldiers (2002)
25. The House on Haunted Hill (1959)
26. The Host (2006)
27. The Fog (1980)
28. The Trollenberg Terror (1958)
29. Return of Daimajin (1966)
30. Masque of the Red Death (1964)
31. The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)
32. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

I received the newly released Criterion Blu-ray this a.m., and sat down to watch it tonight. It's a beautiful film, and though generally considered science fiction and not horror, during its modest 81 minute runtime hero Scott Carey must contend with horrors both tangible and existential. It's never looked better at home than with this release, of course, and there's a wealth of worthy extras on Criterion's disk, including a Tom Weaver commentary that's no doubt worth the price of admission all on its own. This was a must have for my video library. Highly recommended.

 

[AstralSphere]

The most offensive part of Cannibal Holocaust is how ineptly made it is.

Click to shrink...

Nah. It's definitely the killing of real animals.

 

[Rhaknar]

53 - Child's Play (2019) 3/5

Much better than I expected, this remake turned out pretty decent since it's so different from the original and it's own thing, especially if you judge it on it's own merits. The cast is great, the new Chucky doll is actually really creepy, and even tho we get a rogue A.I story this time around instead of a more supernatural take like the original series, it works for what it's doing. Unfortunately the second half isn't as strong as the first, and the movie starts having way too many logic leaps or plot holes (how the fuck did Chucky beat the car to the parking lot for example), but I was still entertained, and it's actually better than some of the shitty OG Chucky sequels (I'm looking at you Seed). I actually managed to track down the OG series, not sure if I'll watch them all this month tho, we'll see.

 

[coma]

In all the complaints and criticism I've heard of for this movie "ineptly made" isn't one of them.

Click to shrink...

I can't think of a single aspect of the actual film making that was well done. Turtle died for a boring ass movie and it added nothing beyond some free marketing. There's plenty of movies that manage to be way more visceral or sleazy/disturbing or whatever they were going for without having to fall back on "yo, but we killed that animal for real! How shocking!"

Nah. It's definitely the killing of real animals.

Click to shrink...

The turtles last thought was "why couldn't Joe D'Amato be killing me instead of this hack?"