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The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

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The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

Old 09-18-10, 07:13 PM
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The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***




THE LISTS




<sup>100 Movies. 31 Days.</sup> October 1st - 31st, 2010


















THIS THREAD IS FOR POSTING LISTS ONLY!


___________________________________________________________________






THE PARTICIPANTS LIST
NOTE: If you have more than 1 list (ie weekly), only the first one will be linked.


LAST UPDATED: 11/1 @ 6:24 PM EST

Code:
Chad
Numes
MinLShaw
Fist of Doom
Jediturle
Dimension X
shellebelle
Mister Peepers
advdfreak
Trevor
Indy24LA
William Fuld
jmsmath
alyxstarr
JOE29
josepotato
CardiffGiant
ThomasB
zaphod2467
NoirFan
fiver
ViewAskewbian
Palpadious
takingchase
riotinmyskull
Undeadcow
tarfrimmer
Gobear
terrycloth
mallratcal
Giles
Darth Maher
Surfinhank
orlmac
llandros
Ghostface180
scott1598
cardsfan111
TRC
nezumi
Mondo Kane
KaBluie
kurupt
shadokitty
MTRodaba2468
mightysparks
DVDMagic
bmax
TheManInBlack
Drop
omike
dcrw6
mike7162
LickTheABCs
Pizza
asianxcore
cysiam
BobO'Link
exharrison
Jeffy Pop
Darkgod
bse
Chet Desmond
The Monkees
acdcrocks1980
dan31655
SnapDawg
caligulathegod
FantasticVSDoom
DRG
rabidgoatboy
Russell S
JOKipper
Jerpuffs
-TRANCE- 
J. Farley
LBCrazyFool
Mountain Biker
onebyone
chuckd21
ParadiseVendors
ThePhantomGoat
The Reaper
supermike07
JerryKILL
acubfaninmd
PopcornBandit
KillerCannibal
HyperWeather
cwileyy
Julie Walker
Camp Blood
Ginwen
MrTerrific
mrpeavey
ororama
old-boo-radley
Psymin1
MrStayPuft
Shack
Cronenbergfan71
DEEveeDEE3
SterlingBen
cabinboy454
socialretard
kyleblack
pagefrance
JsOneAP
Dick Laurent 
seriousmill
alfonsosoriano
indy81
Mao
brainee
EdG2k5 
liadela
indy2003
SethDLH
rimbaud98
beebs
Cool Ghoul
kthnxbai
Melmoth
spectrum21
clckworang
Edison
danganet
ignition
rbrown498
dumpty 
Birdies
etale@sunflower
Boba Fett
cancer623
Quake1028
deconte
wlverinefactor
harpo787
planetaire
sirbrady
Crazee4DVDs
cproaps
Emma311
masteroftheclaw
Prons
achau9598
toldawg128
davidh777
Del Griffith
Corey31
EdTheRipper
MisterShannon






___________________________________________________________________






31 FILMS SUBSET
WATCH ON THE LISTED DAY WITH GROUP DISCUSSION STARTING THE NEXT MORNING


2008 LIST | 2009 LIST

HORROR FILM CLUB SCHEDULE


DarkRed = Netflix Streaming Title / DarkGreen = Public Domain Streaming Title
= Selection Syncs with Theme Nights

DATE
MOVIE
PARTICIPANT
DISCUSSION THREAD
Friday, October 1st From Beyond (1986) takingchase The Discussion Thread
Saturday, October 2nd Sisters (1973) llandros The Discussion Thread
Sunday, October 3rd The Cat and the Canary (1927) Mister Peepers The Discussion Thread
Monday, October 4th Horror Hotel (1960) Melmoth The Discussion Thread
Tuesday, October 5th Dead Snow (2009) ViewAskewbian The Discussion Thread
Wednesday, October 6th It's Alive (1974) NoirFan The Discussion Thread
Thursday, October 7th Octaman (1971) Mister Peepers The Discussion Thread
Friday, October 8th Salvage (2009) Chad The Discussion Thread
Saturday, October 9th Black Rainbow (1989) J. Farley The Discussion Thread
Sunday, October 10th City of the Living Dead (1980) llandros The Discussion Thread
Monday, October 11th The Blob (1988) riotinmyskull The Discussion Thread
Tuesday, October 12th Sheitan (2006) dcrw6 The Discussion Thread
Wednesday, October 13th Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) Fist of Doom The Discussion Thread
Thursday, October 14th The Children (2008) llandros The Discussion Thread
Friday, October 15th Night of the Creeps (1986) bse The Discussion Thread
Saturday, October 16th Fear No Evil (1981) riotinmyskull The Discussion Thread
Sunday, October 17th My Bloody Valentine (1981) Jerpuffs The Discussion Thread
Monday, October 18th Tourist Trap (1979) NoirFan The Discussion Thread
Tuesday, October 19th Smash Cut (2009) ViewAskewbian The Discussion Thread
Wednesday, October 20th Fright Night (1985) orlmac The Discussion Thread
Thursday, October 21st The Seventh Victim (1943) NoirFan The Discussion Thread
Friday, October 22nd Demons (1985) Undeadcow The Discussion Thread
Saturday, October 23rd Ginger Snaps (2000) tarfrimmer The Discussion Thread
Sunday, October 24th Flowers in the Attic (1987) Mister Peepers The Discussion Thread
Monday, October 25th Gojira (1954) Jerpuffs The Discussion Thread
Tueday, October 26th The Devil's Backbone (2001) Numes The Discussion Thread
Wednesday, October 27th Splinter (2008) tarfrimmer The Discussion Thread
Thursday, October 28th Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) Chad The Discussion Thread
Friday, October 29th The Monster Squad (1987) ViewAskewbian The Discussion Thread
Saturday, October 30th Theatrical Showing - Anything Group The Discussion Thread
Sunday, October 31st Night of the Demons (1988) Jack-O The Discussion Thread





___________________________________________________________________






THE EXPANDED CHECKLIST
COPY & PASTE INTO YOUR LIST USING A SPOILER TAG


Code:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
--- 1980 -
--- 1990 -
--- 2000 -
--- 2010 -

Watch a film for each rating:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - (insert film title here)
--- G -
--- PG -
--- PG-13 -
--- R -
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
--- Unrated (post-MPAA) -

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
--- First format, (insert format), (insert title).
--- Second format, (insert format), (insert title).
--- Third format, (insert format), (insert title).

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
--- John Saxon -or-  Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
--- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- First language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Second language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
--- Vampire - (insert film title here)
--- Frankenstein -
--- Werewolf -
--- Mummy -
--- Ghost/haunting -
--- Witchcraft/satanic/religious -
--- Zombie -
--- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac -
--- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla -
--- Documentary -
--- Musical -
--- Spoof/comedy -
--- Revenge -
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
--- Killer/evil child -
--- Giallo -
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
--- film and its remake -
--- based on a novel -
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
--- won an Academy Award -- any category -
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film -
--- with commentary -
--- film and at least two of its sequels -
--- anthology film -
--- appears on video nasties list -
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday -
--- takes place in space -
--- takes place on or under the sea -
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." -
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -
Spoiler:
(One film could fill multiple items.
Example: Dracula would fill one for decade, rating, actor, vampire, based on novel, and maybe others as well.)
(Use a * to mark first time viewings.)
(Change "---" to "-X-" or some similar mark when you have completed that line item.)





___________________________________________________________________






THEME NIGHTS
46 LINKS OF SUB-GENRES




2009 LIST

= Theme Syncs with 31 Films Subset Selection

DATE
THEME
EXAMPLES
Friday, October 1st Bloody Tea & Crumpets - Hammer / Amicus / Ealing Dead of Night, Vampire Circus, Asylum
Saturday, October 2nd Outback Chillers & Kiwi Killers - Australian / New Zealand Howling III, Razorback, Dead Alive, Wolf Lake, Patrick
Sunday, October 3rd Mother Nature Runs Amok! - Natural Horror Films Lost Weekend, Food of the Gods, Kingdom of the Spiders
Monday, October 4th An Excellent Day for an Exorcism - Possession / Satanic / Demonic The Ninth Gate, Lord of Illusions, Alucarda
Tuesday, October 5th Human. It's What's for Dinner - Cannibalism Cannibal Ferox, Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Apocalypse
Wednesday, October 6th The Freaks Come Out at Night - Mutants Humanoids from the Deep, C.H.U.D., It's Alive, Basket Case
Thursday, October 7th Killer Grannies & Saggy Mammaries - Psycho-biddy (Hagsploitation) What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Berserk!, The Nanny
Friday, October 8th Fava Beans & Chianti Mindfucks - Psychological Horror Calvaire, Jacob's Ladder, The Silence of the Lambs
Saturday, October 9th A Dish Best Served with Bloody Mayhem - Rape & Revenge I Spit on Your Grave, The House on the Edge of the Park
Sunday, October 10th They're Coming to Get You, Barbara! - Zombie Films Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror, City of the Living Dead
Monday, October 11th Welcome to Virginityville - Population: 0 - Teen Screams The House of the Devil, Slumber Party Massacre
Tuesday, October 12th Get the Hell Off Jethro's Property! - Backwoods Horror Spider Baby, Hatchet, Redneck Zombies, The Cottage
Wednesday, October 13th Reading is Fundamentally Dead - Films Based on Horror Novels The Fury, Hellraiser, Deadly Friend, The Shining
Thursday, October 14th Schedule a Play Date with Damien - Creepy Kids Bloody Birthday, Who Can Kill a Child?, The Brood
Friday, October 15th Fermented for Your Approval - Cheesy '80s Horror Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare, Chopping Mall, Neon Maniacs
Saturday, October 16th The Newly Expanded Asian Buffet of Terrors! - Korean / Thai
J-Horror / Indian / Chinese / Philippine / Indonesian
Phone, The Eye, House ('77), Gehrayee
Mr. Vampire, Feng Shui, Mystics in Bali
Sunday, October 17th It Slices, Dices & Guts You Like a Fish - Slashers / Giallos / Serial Killers Dr. Giggles, Blood and Black Lace, Deranged
Monday, October 18th Nevermore Frightening - Cinema Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe Two Evil Eyes, Castle of the Walking Dead, The Black Cat
Tuesday, October 19th Ooh! Scary, eh? - Canadian Horror Films Black Christmas, Rabid, Pontypool, The Gate
Wednesday, October 20th A Reel Cinematic Suckfest! - Vampire Films Let the Right One In, Drácula, The Hunger, Thirst
Thursday, October 21st Once, Twice, Three Times the Lacerations - Horror Anthologies Tales from the Crypt, Dead Of Night, Nightmares
Friday, October 22nd Passport to Sheer Terror! - BFI's 100 European Horror Films Bloody Pit of Horror, Mill of the Stone Women
Saturday, October 23rd Full Moon Madness! - Werewolves The Curse of the Werewolf, Werewolf of London
Sunday, October 24th Condemned to VHS Hell! - Video Nasties Evilspeak, The Toolbox Murders, The Boogeyman
Monday, October 25th Giant Monkeys & Radioactive Lizards - Creature Features Alligator, The Beast Within, The Host
Tuesday, October 26th ¡Mierda Espantosa! - Spanish Horror Films The Orphanage, [REC], The Blood Spattered Bride
Wednesday, October 27th Supercharged Zombie Go Boom! - Action Horror Dog Soldiers, Race with the Devil, From Dusk till Dawn
Thursday, October 28th They're Still Here - Supernatural / Haunted House / Ghost The Changeling, The Others, Ghost Story
Friday, October 29th It's Pronounced "Fronkensteen" - Comedy Horror Films Evil Dead 2, Night of the Creeps, Bad Taste
Saturday, October 30th Death by Caffeine on Devil's Night - Mass Marathon of the Damned Keep the coffee plentiful and stay up watching whatever
Sunday, October 31st I'm Crazy Blu-ray Face! Give Me Some Candy! - Halloween Related Night of the Demons, Hell Night, Trick or Treat




___________________________________________________________________


REMINDERS

Post a link to your list in your signature.

Don't forget the threads from the 31 Films Subset 2009 list and the Horror Film Club list will also be used for individual discussion.

Give reviews, post pics, provide IMDB links with your titles, add YouTube videos, include running times, etc.

Number your lists!



___________________________________________________________________


All Prizes Have Been Graciously Donated By Our Groovy Sponsors...











_________________________________________________________________________


<sup>The challenge officially begins</sup> Friday, October 1, 2010 @ Midnight (EST).




Last edited by Chad; 11-14-10 at 10:30 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:13 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread


Last edited by Chad; 11-11-10 at 11:55 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:13 PM
  #3  
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread


<table border=10">



_________________________________________________________________


Comments in progress. Don't hold your breath.

THE LIST
Spoiler:


Friday, October 1st

1. Zombiemania (2008) NWI - Interesting interviews, although nothing groundbreaking if you're already familiar with the genre. A good way to kill 56 minutes.
2. Neon Maniacs (1985) - A very cheesy '80s film, but unfortunately doesn't fall into the "so bad it's good" category. The only way to describe this is a group of zombies(?) dressed like The Village People reside under the Golden Gate bridge and kill for no apparent reason.
3. Dark Water (2002) - Meh. Covered the same 'ol familar territory.
4. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) - A true classic that, like Halloween, relies on suspense rather than gore. Don't let the TV movie part scare you away.
5. Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987) - Pure fun.
6. Smash Cut (2009)



Saturday, October 2nd

7. The Food of the Gods (1976) NWI - Mistook this for a first time viewing until realizing 5 minutes in I caught it last year. Happy to see it again.

DOWN UNDER DOUBLE-FEATURE
8. Patrick (1978) NWI
9. Howling III: The Marsupials (1987) - All Ozploitation is not created equal. Cinematic turd #1.

H.P. LOVECRAFT DOUBLE-FEATURE
10. Re-Animator (1985) - A classic. One of a handful of films I catch every challenge. Although plagiarism
11. From Beyond (1986)



Sunday, October 3rd

12. Sssssss (1973) NWI
13. Long Weekend (1978) - Haven't experienced such an obnoxious woman in horror since "Who Can Kill a Child?".

SHATNER DOUBLE-FEATURE
14. Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) - Shatner playing the world's most likable doctor battles hordes of malnourished spiders with an appetite for human flesh.
15. Incubus (1966) - Like Bergman film, you have to be in the right mindset to enjoy. I wasn't.
16. Psychomania aka "The Death Wheelers" (1973) TCM



Monday, October 4th

17. The Cat and the Canary (1927) NWI
18. Castle of Blood (1964) - Very atmospheric Bava-esque haunted castle tale with Barbara Steele steeling the show as usual.

DEMONIC DOUBLE-FEATURE
19. The Devil Within Her (aka "Sharon's Baby") (1975) TCM
20. Magnum P.I. vs. The Daughters of Satan (1972) TCM

21. Horror Hotel (1960) RC -



Tuesday, October 5th

22. Frozen (2010) BD
23. The Human Centipede: First Sequence (2009) BD
24. Stephen Romano Presents Shock Festival: Disc 2 (2010)
25. Eaten Alive! (1980)



Wednesday, October 6th

26. Waxwork (1988)
27. Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

28. It's Alive (1974)
29. It's Alive II: It Lives Again (1978)
30. It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987)



Thursday, October 7th

31. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
32. The Black Cat (1934) - Defective disc, locked up. Damn DVD-18 mastering process! Edit: PS3 played it flawlessly.
33. Flowers in that Attic (1987) NWI
34. Salvage (2009)



Friday, October 8th

35. I Sell the Dead (2008) BD
36. The Crazies (2010) BD
37. Daybreakers (2009) BD
38. White Zombie (1932) NWI



Saturday, October 9th

39. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) - One of the few Hammer films I didn't care for.
40. Trackman (2007)
41. Mulberry Street (2006) NWI - 28 Days Later with Wererats. Loved it.
42. Turkey Shoot (1982)
43. Last Cannibal World (1977)



Sunday, October 10th

ZOMBIES!
44. Diary of the Dead (2007) BD
45. Survival of the Dead (2009) NWI
46. The Video Dead (1987) NWI
47. Fido (2006)
48. The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
49. Elvira's Movie Macabre: Night of the Living Dead (1968) - She claims it's her favorite horror film, yet constantly puts it down. Haven't you learned anything from Mike Nelson?



Monday, October 11th

50. The Call of Cthulhu (2005) NWI - One of more faithful Lovecraft adaptations.
51. Spellbinder (1988) NWI - DTV movie that borrows heavily from The Wicker Man. The Highlight: Kelly Preston showing off the Travolta twins.
52. Borderland (2007)
53. Madman (1982) - One of the better Friday the 13th knockoffs.



Tuesday, October 12th

54. The Raven (1935)
55. The Company of Wolves (1984) - Surrealistic Red Riding Hood tale meets werewolf lore.
56. Hatchet (2006) BD
57. Terror is a Man (1959) - Interesting Filipino take on The Island of Dr. Moreau. Had an annoying Castle-esque gimmick known as the "Terror Bell".



Wednesday, October 13th

58. Subscpecies (1991) NWI
59. It! (1967)
60. One Dark Night (1983)
61. Cujo (1983) BD



Thursday, October 14th

HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS GRUESOME TWOSOME
62. The Gruesome Twosome (1967)
63. The Wizard of Gore (1970)

64. Grace (2009) BD
65. The Invisible Ray (1936)



Friday, October 15th

66. Infection (2004) NWI - One step above a SyFY movie.
67. Seven Women for Satan (1976)
68. Transylvania Twist (1989)
69. Night of the Creeps (1986) BD
70. Forbidden World (1982) BD



Saturday, October 16th

71. Isolation (2005) NWI
72. Triangle (2009) BD
73. The Last House on the Left (2009) BD

GRINDHOUSE
74. Planet Terror (2007) BD
75. Deathproof (2007) BD

76. The Eye 3 (2005)



Monday, October 18th

82. Requiem for a Vampire (1971)
83. Infestation (2009)
84. House of the Damned (1963) - Freaks meets The Haunting ... minus the hauntings. Good setup but felt rushed at 62 minutes.
85. The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967) NWI



Tuesday, October 19th

86. Chamber of Horrors (1966) - Had two of the most obnoxious William Castle influences gimmicks ever conceived: The 'Fear Flasher' and the 'Horror Horn'. Otherwise an interesting take on House of Wax. Look for the Tony Curtis cameo.
87. Pontypool (2008) BD - Goosebumps
88. The House of the Devil (2009)
89. The Horror Show (1989) NWI



Wednesday, October 20th

90. Frostbitten (2006)
91. 30 Days of Night (2007) BD
92. Let the Right One In (2008) BD
93. Black Friday (1940)



Thursday, October 21st

94. Mark of the Devil (1970)
95. The Blood Spattered Bride (1972)
96. The Gate (1987)
97. From a Whisper to a Scream (1987) NWI



Friday, October 22nd

98. Bloody Birthday (1981)
99. Slaughter of the Vampires (1962) NWI
100. Zombiethon (1986) NWI
101. Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Terror (1963)
102. Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
103. Mr. Vampire (1985)
104. The Beyond (1981)



Saturday, October 23rd

105. The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007) NWI
106. The Boogens (1981) TCM
107. Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971)
108. Death Dog (1984) NWI
109. An American Werewolf in London w/commentary (1981) BD
110. Hour of the Wolf (1968)



Sunday, October 24th

111. Puppet Master (1989) NWI
112. Stranglers of Bombay (1960) TCM
113. Open House (1987)
114. The New York Ripper (1982) BD
115. The Evil Dead (1981) BD
116. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
117. Bowery at Midnight (1942) NWI



Monday, October 25th

118. Delirium: Photo of Gioia (1987)
119. Mystics in Bali (1981)
120. The Queen of Black Magic (1979)
121. Bug (1975)
122. White Noise 2: The Light (2007)



Tuesday, October 26th

123. Venus In Furs (1969) NWI
124. Something Weird (1967)
125. Genesis / Aftermath (98, 94) NWI
126. The Orphanage (2007) BD
127. [Rec] 2 (2009)
128. Night of the Werewolf (1981)



Wednesday, October 27th

129. Puppet Master II (1991) NWI
130. Slaughter Hotel (1971)
131. The Dead Pit (1989)
132. Feast (2005) BD



Thurday, October 28th

133. The Last Horror Film (1982)
134. The Changeling (1980)
135. The Grapes of Death (1978)
136. Haute Tension (2003) BD
137. Basket Case (1982)
138.Necromantik (1987)



Friday, October 29th

139. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
140. The Kiss (1988) - Another overlooked '80s gem. Apparently one of the Critters snuck into this film and disguised itself as a homicidal cat.
141. Botched (2007)
142. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
143. Shawn of the Dead (2004) BD



Saturday, October 30th

144. The Last Winter (2006)
145. Hausu (1977)
146. The Monster Squad (1987) BD
147. Eden Lake (2008)
148. Suspiria (1977)
149. The Exorcist (1973) BD
150. Night of the Bloody Apes (1969)



Sunday, October 31st

151. The Midnight Hour (1985)
152. Night of the Demons (1988)
153. Night of the Demons 2 (1994)
154. Night of the Demons III: Demon House (1997)
155. Halloween (1978) BD
156. The Walking Dead (Pilot) (2010)
157. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____




_________________________________________________________________





Subset Selections Completed: 8


Theme Nights Completed on Selected Day: 6

The Checklist
DarkRed = Completed
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
1890 - (insert film title here)
1900 -
1910 -
1920 - The Cat and the Canary (1927)
1930 - Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
1940 - Black Friday (1940)
1950 - The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
1960 - Castle of Blood (1964)
1970 - Patrick (1978)
1980 - Neon Maniacs (1985)
1990 - Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
2000 - Dark Water (2002)
2010 - Frozen (2010)

Watch a film for each rating:
Unrated (pre-MPAA) - (insert film title here)
G -
PG -
PG-13 -
R -
NC-17 -
X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
Unrated (post-MPAA) -

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
First format, (insert format), (insert title).
Second format, (insert format), (insert title).
Third format, (insert format), (insert title).

Watch a film starring:
Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
First language, (insert language), (insert title).
Second language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
Vampire - (insert film title here)
Frankenstein -
Werewolf -
Mummy -
Ghost/haunting -
Witchcraft/satanic/religious - The Devil Within Her (1975)
Zombie - Psychomania (1975)
Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac -
Monster/creature feature/Godzilla -
Documentary - Zombiemania (2008)
Musical -
Spoof/comedy -
Revenge -
Killer/evil doll -
Killer/evil animal -
Killer/evil child -
Giallo -
J horror -
MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
film and its remake -
based on a novel -
directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
won an Academy Award -- any category -
silent film -
Criterion version film -
with commentary -
film and at least two of its sequels -
anthology film -
appears on video nasties list -
hosted by Elvira -
takes place on a holiday -
takes place in space -
takes place on or under the sea -
animated film -
called "Day of ..." -
called "Night of ..." -
called "Return of ..." -
called "Revenge of ..." -
called "Attack of ..." -
with the words "Living Dead" in the title -



= First Time Viewing
PDD = Public Domain Download
NWI = Netflix Watch Instantly
TCM = TCM
HD = HD DVD
BD = Blu-ray
RC = Roku Channel
OV = Online Viewing
No Symbol = DVD

Last edited by Chad; 08-01-11 at 11:38 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:16 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

Numes' 2010 October Horror Movie Challenge List

2008 October Horror Movie Challenge - 56 / New Rules - 77
2009 October Horror Movie Challenge - 39 / New Rules - 58

**** LIST COMPLETE ****
2010 Goals:
Total Movies+Shows: 50 (Actual Watched = 25)
Total Commentaries: 20 (Actual Watched = 15)
Total Count: 70 (Actual = 40)


Total Time Watched: 68 Hours and 25 Minutes
Average Time Watched Per Day: 2 Hours and 12 Minutes


October 2nd
1.Event Horizon [1997] imdb Blu-Ray 7/10
I remember going to see this in the theater thinking it was a sci-fi movie, but it was really a horror movie. I am definitely a fan of this movie, there is one cheeseball moment, but a good "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" space horror.
2.Poltergeist [1982] imdb Blu-Ray 8/10
I have not seen this movie forever. I watched it quite a few times when I was a kid (HBO?) I remember the clown parts always freaking me out. To this day when I see a lightning flash I will subconsciously count how many seconds until I hear the thunder. Did you know the older sister was murdered by her boyfriend after the movie came out? How tragic.
3.The Shining commentary [1980] new! imdb Blu-Ray 9/10
An excellent commentary! Garrett Brown, the inventor of the steady-cam, filmed most all of the steady-cam scenes in the movie and provides a whole slew of interesting tidbits about working with Kubrick. A must-listen for any Kubrick fan. They filmed the scene with Scatman Crothers talking to Danny in the kitchen 160 times!!!
October 3rd
4.Event Horizon commentary [1997] new! imdb Blu-Ray 5/10
An *ok* commentary. Both of the participants had not seen the movie for a while, which is usually the kiss of death for a good commentary. One funny thing to note was that they also got comments from people who were expecting it to be a Sci-Fi movie rather than a Horror movie like I did when I saw it in the theater.
October 4th
5.The Picture of Dorian Gray [1945] new! imdb DVD 8/10
Angela Lansbury! I don’t think I've ever seen her in anything but Murder She Wrote. I loved the 4 color scenes in the movie. I bet that was pretty awesome in 1945. The tension before each of the painting reveals is well played. Quite a bit of dialog by George Sanders, sometimes I had to rewind it to catch everything he said. This movie isn't on the level of Hitchcock, but still a very enjoyable movie.
October 5th
6.Drag Me To Hell [2009] new! imdb Blu-Ray 6/10
I really really really could have done without the kitty killing sequence. They could have done that SO many different ways, it's so stupid that they decided on that path.
October 6th
7.The Fly [1986] new! imdb Blu-Ray 7.5/10
I know someday I'm going to own every Cronenberg movie. Jeff Goldblum was absolutely amazing in this movie. I laughed outloud the first time Goldblum says "Brundlefly." The dream sequence was especially disturbing.
October 7th
8.Darkman II: The Return of Durant [1995] new! imdb DVD 6/10
"I think we've all learned a valuable safety tip here." A pretty decent sequel to Darkman. Arnold Vosloo is no Liam Neeson, but it was enjoyable and good to see Durant back.
October 8th
9.The Fly commentary [1986] new! imdb Blu-Ray 9/10
Another wonderful Cronenberg commentary.
October 9th
10.1408 [2007] new! imdb Blu-Ray 7/10
Wow. I was seriously freaked out by this movie once he gets the hotel. That is rare for me. Samuel L. Jackson was perfectly cast in his role. Sometimes when he is in a movie he overpowers the movie, but it just fit incredibly well here.
11.Night Watch [2004] imdb Blu-Ray 8.5/10
Ok, I know that this is not listed as horror on IMDB, but I was uneasy for most of the first half of the movie and there were a lot of horror elements in this movie. I watched this last year too and it was just as good as last year, if not better because I was able to follow the movie a little better this time. There are so many great things about this movie and ideas I have never seen in any movie before. The execution and cinemetography (both live action and CG) were incredibly engaging.
12.Day Watch [2006] imdb Blu-Ray WC! 7/10
I made this a wildcard because it does not really have some of the horror elements as Night Watch does. Not as good as Night Watch, but you kind of have to watch them together as one big movie. I can't figure out why they changed the style of Zavulon's character from a foreboding enemy with a cool haircut to some gangster-esque sterotype wearing track suits and a wifebeater. I'm sure some out there didn't like the ending, but I thought it was perfect.
October 10th
13.1408 commentary [2007] new! imdb Blu-Ray 7/10
Wow. I was seriously freaked out by this movie once he gets the hotel. That is rare for me. Samuel L. Jackson was perfectly cast in his role. Sometimes when he is in a movie he overpowers the movie, but it just fit incredibly well here.
14.Dead Heat [1998] imdb DVD 5/10
Wow it's been a long time since I've seen this movie! I think the first time I saw it was when I thought I was watching "Red Heat" and then we started getting bank robbing zombies and Joe Piscipo. I am looking forward to listening to the commentary as this was a blast from the past.
15.Suspiria [1977] new! imdb DVD 7.5/10
Love the look of this movie. The visuals and the sound were amazing.
16.Session 9 [2001] new! imdb Blu-Ray 7/10
Creepy insane asylum horror/thriller.
October 11th
17.Dead Heat commentary [1998] new! imdb DVD 7/10
Wow it's been a long time since I've seen this movie! I think the first time I saw it was when I thought I was watching "Red Heat" and then we started getting bank robbing zombies and Joe Piscipo. I am looking forward to listening to the commentary as this was a blast from the past.
October 13th
18.Night Watch commentary [2004] new! imdb Blu-Ray 3/10
I was really looking forward to this commentary after seeing this movie now for the 2nd time. It was not good, not good at all. Maybe it was the language barrier, but the director just didn't talk that much and the stories weren't really all that interesting or value added.
October 15th
19.Day Watch commentary [2006] new! imdb Blu-Ray WC! 1/10
Horrible commentary! After listening to the Night Watch commentary, this commentary starts with a moderator and I'm thinking to myself "this is perfect, the commentary will keep a good pace this time." I couldn't have been more wrong. I wouldn't even call the other guy a moderator, he was horrible. For a 2.5 hour movie, there was maybe 20-30 minutes of commentary.
October 16th
20.Planet Terror [2007] new! imdb Blu-Ray 6/10
I did like this movie, but I kept having this feeling that everything was being forced to look like a throwback movie. It didn't feel organic to me. Some of it also felt tongue-in-cheek to me. I did, however, love the stump into Quentin Tarantino's eye - classic!
21.Death Proof [2007] new! imdb Blu-Ray
Very interesting movie. I felt like I was watching "Duel," but actually being able to get to know the the bad guy. I loved the lapdance song on the jukebox. I need to find that.
October 17th
22.The Corpse Bride [2005] new! imdb Blu-Ray
October 18th
23.Suspiria commentary [1977] new! imdb DVD 8.5/10
Great fan commentary
October 19th
24.Planet Terror commentary [2007] new! imdb Blu-Ray
October 18th
25.Planet Terror fan reaction track [2007] new! imdb Blu-Ray WC! 3/10
I was actually looking forward to this, the opening was fun to hear the crowd, but they didn't go as crazy as I thought they were going to at some of the moments, especially the end.
October 19th
26.The Corpse Bride music only track new! imdb Blu-Ray 5/10
5/10 because it would have been way way better with a Danny Elfman commentary before each musical cue.
October 22nd
27.The Innocents [1961] new! imdb DVD 8/10
28.Let the Right One In [2008] new! imdb DVD 8/10
October 24th
29.The Innocents commentary [1961] new! imdb DVD 8.5/10
Every Sir Christopher Frayling commentary is gold. Not quite as good as his Leone commentaries, but provides so much amazing information and makes it interesting.
30.The Wicker Man [1973] new! imdb DVD 3/10
Ughh… I had such high hopes for this movie, but the music was horrendous, it made it laughable. It completely overshadowed the wonderful acting.
October 25th
31.Let the Right One In commentary [2008] new! imdb DVD 5/10
How interesting to listen to the screenwriter (who also wrote the book) and the director do a commentary together. There was a bit of a language barrier that prevented this from being a better commentary than it was.
October 26th
32.The Wicker Man commentary [1973] new! imdb DVD 7/10
I love listening to Christopher Lee do commentaries, he sometimes gets a little long winded, but still entertaining. The rest of the people were perfect for the commentary, but sometimes they had to talk over each other.
October 27th
33.The Devil's Backbone [2001] imdb DVD 8/10
Guillermo del Toro = automatic must see
October 28th
34.The Devil's Backbone commentary [2001] imdb DVD 9/10
Guillermo del Toro commentary = instant classic
October 29th
35.The Omen [1976] imdb Blu-Ray 8/10
One of the many Richard Donner classics. Gregory Peck is fantastic. David Warner is one of my all time favorite actors and brings so much to every one of his roles. The woman who plays the governess is SO creepy. People with too many teeth give me the chills.
36.The Omen II [1978] new! imdb Blu-Ray 7/10
A very solid follow-up to The Omen. I love how it starts literally 2 days after the end of the first film and they use the same actor. William Holden is great as Thorn's brother. Count me as someone who did was definitely surprised by the quasi-"twist" ending. Loved it.
October 30th
37.Omen III: The Final Conflict [1981] new! imdb Blu-Ray 6.5/10
Amazingly enough, no real let down for the third installment. Sam Neill is brilliant in pretty much everything he does, and once again, the perfect Damien. I really think they could have done something different with the ending, however.
38.The Omen Donner / Baird commentary [1976] new! imdb Blu-Ray 6/10
Richard Donner really needs to have someone moderating or asking him questions. The commentary is good, but Donner and Baird don't feed off each other like they should
October 31st
39.The Omen Donner commentary [1976] new! imdb Blu-Ray 9/10
Wonderful commentary. The moderator was the writer of "Man on Fire" and he did his research thoroughly to ask Donner good questions and get him to get involved and keep telling stories.
40.The League - "Ghost Monkey" [2010] new! imdb FX HD 8/10
For anyone who hasn't seen this show, it is hilarious. A must watch
Modern Family - "Halloween" [2010] new! imdb ABC HD 8/10
One of the best new comedy shows in a long long time
The Office - "Costume Contest" [2010] new! imdb NBC HD 8/10
The Office typically does a Halloween episode and this one was pretty good, especially the guy as Lady Gaga.
Community - "Epidemiology" [2010] new! imdb NBC HD 7/10
An interesting Zombie episode. Funny, but not as good as community has been this year. I would have rather it be a standard episode with a Halloween theme.
Checklist: 28/76
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 -
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
-X- 1940 - The Picture of Dorian Gray
--- 1950 -
-X- 1960 - The Innocents
-X- 1970 - Suspiria
-X- 1980 - Poltergeist
-X- 1990 - Event Horizon
-X- 2000 - Drag Me to Hell
--- 2010 -

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - The Picture of Dorian Gray
--- G -
-X- PG - Poltergeist
-X- PG-13 - Drag Me to Hell
-X- R - Event Horizon
--- NC-17 -
-X- X (original or final) - Suspiria
--- Unrated (post-MPAA) -

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format - Blu-Ray, Event Horizon
-X- Second format - DVD, The Picture of Dorian Gray
-X- Third format - Television, Various TV

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange -
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
-X- Dick Miller -or- David Warner - The Omen
--- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-X- First language - Russian, Day Watch
-X- Second language - Swedish, Let the Right One In

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - Night Watch
--- Frankenstein -
--- Werewolf -
--- Mummy -
-X- Ghost/haunting - 1408
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Suspiria
-X- Zombie - Dead Heat
--- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac -
--- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla -
--- Documentary -
--- Musical -
-X- Spoof/comedy - Dead Heat
--- Revenge -
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
--- Killer/evil child -
--- Giallo -
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
-X- film and its remake - The Omen
-X- based on a novel - The Picture of Dorian Gray
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
-X- won an Academy Award -- any category - The Picture of Dorian Gray
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film -
-X- with commentary - The Shining
-X- film and at least two of its sequels - The Omen, The Omen II, The Omen III
--- anthology film -
--- appears on video nasties list -
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday -
-X- takes place in space - Event Horizon
--- takes place on or under the sea -
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." -
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -

Last edited by Numes; 11-07-10 at 08:03 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:16 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread


Me, trick-or-treating as Underdog in 1980. Image links to list on IMDb.


2009 List (24 movies watched)

2010 List
All are first time viewings, except * denotes repeat viewing. All viewings are on DVD except as noted by color.
  1. 10/01 Bram Stoker's Dracula
  2. 10/02 Nightmare Man
  3. 10/02 She-Wolf of London
  4. 10/02 Borderland
  5. 10/02 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
  6. 10/03 The Dark
  7. 10/03 WereWolf of London
  8. 10/03 Zombieland *
  9. 10/04 The Wolf Man
  10. 10/04 The Wolf Man commentary track with Tom Weaver
  11. 10/05 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  12. 10/06 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
  13. 10/07 The Evil Dead
  14. 10/07 The Last Man on Earth
  15. 10/08 The Bat
  16. 10/08 Killer Klowns from Outer Space
  17. 10/09 Hideaway
  18. 10/09 Circus of Fear
  19. 10/09 Teeth
  20. 10/10 The Darkroom
  21. 10/10 Horror Express
  22. 10/11 The Terror
  23. 10/11 The Sixth Sense
  24. 10/12 Dawn of the Dead
  25. 10/13 Creepshow
  26. 10/13 Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
  27. 10/16 Piranha
  28. 10/16 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
  29. 10/17 The Lost Boys
  30. 10/17 Night of the Living Dead *
  31. 10/18 Night of the Living Dead *
  32. 10/18 Night of the Living Dead colorized version with Mike Nelson commentary
  33. 10/19 Penny Dreadful
  34. 10/19 Scalps
  35. 10/20 Critters
  36. 10/20 Broken Lizard's Club Dread *
  37. 10/20 Jeepers Creepers *
  38. 10/20 Igor
  39. 10/21 Jeepers Creepers II
  40. 10/21 Bloodtide
  41. 10/21 Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
  42. 10/22 Shadow of the Vampire *
  43. 10/23 Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter - Cult of UHF Podcast
  44. 10/24 Ghostbusters *
  45. 10/24 Ghostbusters commentary track with Harold Ramis, Ivan Reitman and Joe Medjuck
  46. 10/25 Bats
  47. 10/25 Opera
  48. 10/26 The Ring
  49. 10/26 The Ring Two
  50. 10/26 Short Films (95 minutes)
    • La Manoir du Diable (3 minutes)
    • Boo (10 minutes)
    • Frankenweenie - Uncut Version (30 minutes) *
    • Vincent (6 minutes) *
    • Frankenstein (13 minutes)
    • Don't Watch This [From The Ring] (16 minutes)
    • Rings (16 minutes)
    • 11/01 Le Chaudron Infernal (1 minute)
  51. 10/27 Full Tilt Boogie
  52. 10/28 Blood for Dracula
  53. 10/28 Paranormal Activity 2
  54. TV Content
    • 10/23 Thriller "The Grim Reaper" (1/2 entry - 49:51)
    • 10/28 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1/2 entry - 8:00-9:00) *
  55. 10/29 Friday the 13th, Part 2
  56. 10/30 Halloween
  57. 10/30 Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
  58. 10/30 I Know What You Did Last Summer
  59. 10/30 I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
  60. 10/30 The Little Shop of Horrors
  61. 10/31 The Crow
  62. 10/31 From Hell
  63. 11/01 Bubba Ho-Tep *
  64. 11/01 Shaun of the Dead *
  65. TV Content
    • 10/31 The Walking Dead "Days Go Bye" (3/4 entry; 90 minutes)
    • 11/01 Roseanne "Boo!" (1/4 entry; 27 minutes) *
  66. 11/01 From Dusk Till Dawn *


2010 List with Comments
Spoiler:
  1. 10/01 Bram Stoker's Dracula
    Spoiler:
    On the whole, I liked it. It feels like an early 90s movie, right down to the ballad over the end credits. The first half hewed pretty closely to the source material and other adaptations I've seen; then it became a bit adventuresome. Kudos for playing up the eroticism, always a significant element of the "Dracula" mythology. I could have done without some of the jerky, first-person cinematography, though.

    Also, Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins seemed to each affect different accents at various times; I can only assume that those sequences were shot together, and their voice work changed over the course of the production subtly enough no one really caught it. There are a couple times where Oldman sounds like his villain from The Fifth Element, which was really distracting.
  2. 10/02 Nightmare Man
    Spoiler:
    Great self-aware humor, and some great suspense. (At least for me, since I have had a lifelong recurring nightmare of being in a house somewhere, stalked from the outside by someone I can't see.)

    In 2008, my wife and I attended the Fright Night Horror Fest in Louisville, and we went to the awards show. Tiffany Shepis was in attendance, and while I don't recall now what she won, she injected the entire evening with a lot of genuine enthusiasm. Very delightful, and I wish I'd known who she was at the time!
  3. 10/02 She-Wolf of London
    Spoiler:
    Phyllis Allenby (Lockhart) is happily engaged, but soon discovers a problem: the famed "Allenby Curse," through which she suspects she has begun to become a She-Wolf. I won't spoil anything for you, but the film feels much more like a primitive episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent than a Monster movie. Hearing so many obviously American voices in what is supposed to be London only cheapens the film--though that's not to say the performances themselves are bad. By the end of the 62 minutes, one wonders whether there wasn't something else in the Universal vault more worthy of inclusion here.
  4. 10/02 Borderland
    Spoiler:
    Based upon real events, a trio of young guys head across the border into Mexico and get mixed up with a local cartel run by a guy whose religious beliefs appear to have been inspired by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Interesting as a crime drama more than an outright horror film, but the performances and pacing were pretty solid. And that undercurrent of reality makes it rather compelling.
  5. 10/02 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
    Spoiler:
    My wife was excited to introduce me to this one, it having been a favorite of hers for years. I loved the humor; even though it's in much the same vain as, say, Airplane!, which I didn't find all that amusing. Perhaps the complete absurdity of the tomatoes was more to my liking. Perhaps it was the appearance by the Famous San Diego Chicken. Whatever it was, I enjoyed the movie.
  6. 10/03 The Dark
    Spoiler:
    Ah, The Dark. You had me at, "Starring Maria Bello." Here, she's brought her daughter to her ex-husband (Sean Bean) in Wales, where the daughter drowns...and releases from the dead a little girl of comparable age with a dark past. The performances are pretty intense at times; Bello really creates some convincing urgency and panic. Nice dash of Welsh mythology for good measure. I'm only terrified of two things, and one of them is water at night, so this one really spooked me.
  7. 10/03 WereWolf of London
    Spoiler:
    WereWolf of London pre-dates The Wolf Man by six years and is the only title here "presented" by Carl Laemmle, the Universal executive responsible for shepherding the rest of their Monster franchises. It's really the most cohesive of the four films collected here, perhaps because it was produced prior to the rise of crossover sequels in which featured Monsters interact with one another. Anyway, botanist Wilford Glendon (Hull) has returned to London with both a rare biological specimen...and lycanthropy, courtesy of the werewolf who attacked him during his expedition. Soon enough, Glendon is running around London and the body count rises. The tension between Glendon and his wife's former beau, her socialite friends and the mysterious Dr. Yogami (Orland) dominates the film so much that when Glendon transforms into the WereWolf, we are invested enough to fear for what he will do while almost grateful for the escape from the other story lines.
  8. 10/03 Zombieland
    Spoiler:
    My third viewing; we saw it during its theatrical release last year, and rented it from Redbox earlier this year on DVD. We happened to notice it was airing on Starz during a four day free preview period and decided to rewatch it. I thought it was "okay," but fun originally...and now I think it might just be a masterpiece. It's wall-to-wall fun. Woody Harrelson has never been more enjoyable to watch, Abigail Breslin continues to impress and that Emma Stone chick is kinda cute (though a bit young for me at this point in my life). Also, I love that there's no real effort to explain the zombies; we just delve right into a world infested with them.
  9. 10/04 The Wolf Man
    Spoiler:
    Larry Talbot (Chaney, Jr.) is the prodigal son, returning home to his father's Welsh estate after his elder brother's death. He wastes no time pitching woo to a local woman, or in being attacked by a werewolf (Lugosi), which turns poor Larry into a lycanthrope. Chaney is genuinely charming as Larry, creating a very sympathetic character, and screenwriter Curt Siodmak deftly balances parallel stories of a love triangle, as well as exploring a contentious father/son relationship. The werewolf story at times seems to intrude on these more interesting story lines. The film is far more dynamic than Dracula, but isn't quite as compelling as Frankenstein.
  10. 10/04 The Wolf Man with audio commentary by Tom Weaver
    Spoiler:
    Weaver's commentary is informative, offering trivia about the story, the production and those responsible for making the film. This is a guy who clearly knows his Wolf Man, but doesn't take it so seriously that he doesn't rush to point out plot holes or continuity errors. His language is era-inappropriate at times, though, and while I'm certainly no prude, it was a bit distracting to hear some of the words that would never have been allowed in the film being discussed. If you can get past that minor detail, it's one of the better commentary tracks I've heard in quite a while. Sadly, this is the only commentary track to be found in this collection.
  11. 10/05 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
    Spoiler:
    I was largely underwhelmed. I felt the story had all the complexity of an episode of Scooby-Doo, though I admit the dinner scene was pretty "out there." It's chilling because it was based on real events, but strictly in the context of being a film I never had a chance to really connect with, or care about, any of the characters. Great production design, though.

    Note: My remarks kicked off some lively back-and-forth with several participants in the Discussion Thread, Part 1 that may make for fun reading. Begin with Post #765.
  12. 10/06 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
    Spoiler:
    Larry (Chaney) seeks out Doctor Frankenstein in hopes that he will know means through which Larry can end his suffering. Unfortunately for Larry, the mad scientist has already been killed in one of the intervening Frankenstein pictures and surviving daughter Elsa wants nothing to do with her family's legacy. Again, it's the non-monster stuff that's the most compelling.

    At one point, Elsa is in the same room as The Monster (Lugosi), who for all intents and purposes is her "uncle," and Larry is accompanied by Maleva (Ouspenskaya) who has sort of adopted Larry in lieu of the fact it was her son who was responsible for infecting him in the first movie. No one ever says a word about the odd family dynamics in the scene, but they're unmistakable. Throughout the whole affair, the monster-weary villagers of Vasaria add pressure to the efforts to end Larry's life--which he'd gladly consent to, if they actually had it in their power to kill him. The family dynamics and the commentary on death are poignant, but they are quickly displaced by gratuitous monster-on-monster violence, and the third act feels tired and offers no real resolution for these themes.
  13. 10/07 The Evil Dead
    Spoiler:
    Good God, was that a young Bruce Campbell! The effects are delightfully dated (though the make-up was still pretty convincing). I liked it, but thought it would have more humor than it does. Lost track of some of the characters's whereabouts at times, but that was probably because I had to pause the movie three different times on account of my stupid guts. In a straight-through viewing, I don't know that I'd have paid as much attention.
  14. 10/07 Last Man on Earth
    Spoiler:
    Based on "I Am Legend," Vincent Price is the titular last man alive after a vampiric virus has decimated humanity. The first act is pretty dated, depicting much less sophisticated survival behavior than we're accustomed to today (the guy still puts on his sport coat when leaving the house), but the second act where we see in flashback the rise and spread of the virus has some genuinely compelling moments as we see his personal losses. The final act calls to mind Fahrenheit 451 and its manhunt, and has some genuine tension. It may not be the most amazing production of all time, but the sincerity sells the source material.
  15. 10/08 The Bat
    Spoiler:
    "Murder, She Wrote with Freddy Krueger's cinematic ancestor" is the best way to distill this plot. I confess; my mind was racing with speculation about whom would be revealed as The Bat. There's a very unnerving casualness that the characters have to the rash of murders and being stalked that borders on the absurd, but somehow grounds the film in scenes that might otherwise have gone over-the-top. I really enjoyed this one.
  16. 10/08 Killer Klowns from Outer Space
    Spoiler:
    First time viewing, and I loved it. They did a great job riffing on the standard clown routine bits and making them simultaneously creepy and darkly humorous. Making a balloon animal dog to follow the trail of the humans? Genius! It's definitely a dated film, but enjoyable. I didn't expect much, so I was pleasantly surprised to find myself engaged throughout the entire movie.
  17. 10/09 Hideaway
    Spoiler:
    Jeff Goldblum drowns after a car accident and is brought back through an experimental procedure...and what did he bring back with him? Is he blacking out and killing young women? The CGI hasn't aged well (contemporary screensavers are more advanced), but the cast is solid--including a trio of Law & Order principals: Goldblum (from Criminal Intent), Jeremy Sisto (from L&O proper) and Alfred Molina (from Los Angeles), Christine Lahti and Alicia Silverstone. We own this because it was based on a Dean Koontz novel, and he's my wife's favorite author.
  18. 10/09 Circus of Fear
    Spoiler:
    One of six titles collected in our "Price/Lee Horror Collection," a daring robbery of an armored car leads to a circus with some shady folks, including the lion tamer Gregor (Christopher Lee) who only goes around wearing a mask. On the horror side of things, I found it greatly disappointing; it was never really menacing at all, but as a whodunnit, it was likable enough. The performances were material-appropriate (at times convincing, at other times, cheesy), but the A/V quality here was distractingly bad--I know nothing about it, but it looks like someone taped it off a TV broadcast.
  19. 10/09 Teeth
    Spoiler:
    There's a local theater that does biweekly midnight screenings of cult favorites and they played the trailer for this the night we went to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (I think that was the movie, anyway) and it piqued our interest but we missed its screening. In any event, it's about a teen girl with notions of valuing virginity who discovers she has vagina dentata, teeth in her vagina that make her the wrong girl to attack. I enjoy movies where I find myself rooting against the victims, and every one of the guys in Teeth have it coming.

    It's an interesting commentary on social sexual biases and mores, and one that I would certainly recommend to those seeking to better contextualize the "torture porn" sub-genre. The emphasis here is not on the violence--the assault scenes happen quickly and aren't drawn out--but rather on the sexuality. "Sex positive" viewers will find its commentary simplistic, and prudes will find it somewhat mocking, but I think it does a decent job of ultimately showing how misguided a lot of our sexual standards (and double-standards) really are.
  20. 10/10 The Darkroom
    Spoiler:
    We picked this up at Half Price Books a while back because it was 1) cheap and 2) starred Reed Diamond, whom I've liked since first seeing him on Homicide: Life on the Street.

    In this, he's spent 15 years in an institution with amnesia, having been found wandering a dirt road with blood on his hands. After receiving a dosage of an experimental drug, he's flooded with snippets of violent images. A psychotic reaction, or memories of things he may have done? Those scenes are pretty solid; they reminded us of the Scarecrow drug sequences in Batman Begins, only with more gore. The feature itself clocks in just shy of 90 minutes, and the truth is it could probably stand to shed about 5 to 10 minutes to make it less predictable.
  21. 10/10 Horror Express
    Spoiler:
    The A/V quality was terrible; it looked like someone had taped it off a TV broadcast, and this gave it more of a feel of a sophisticated play than an actual film. Still, the premise was really solid and compelling, and the performances were (mostly) mood-appropriate. The premise is that Lee is bringing back from China a 2 million year old fossil of some kind of ape/man being he believes to be the missing link. It awakens on the train ride through Russia and goes on a killing spree. There are some interesting science vs. religion debates--made somewhat smugly, given that it's set in pre-Bolshevik Russia--and the creature's whole story just kept turning out to be more interesting each time something was learned. Loved it.
  22. 10/11 The Terror
    Spoiler:
    A young Jack Nicholson plays a French soldier in 1806 separated from his regiment. He stumbles into a mess where Boris Karloff has been dwelling in a decaying castle with just his servant and is now being haunted by his dead wife. It was alright; Nicholson seems like he's acting through a pain treatment program the entire time; very tenuous and wooden, like he just wanted to get through his scenes and back into a chair. The A/V quality wasn't particularly great, either.
  23. 10/11 The Sixth Sense
    Spoiler:
    I'd heard this was good back in 1999 when it was released, but I was pretty busy then and didn't get to see it during its theatrical run. By the time it hit home video in 2000, the final twist had already been spoiled for me by any number of people who felt it was their manifest destiny to ruin the first vaguely inventive story in mainstream film in ages. So, I kept deferring getting around to it, not really wanting to reach that moment where knowing what I knew would ruin the movie.

    It didn't take long to reach that point, but what I discovered is something that I would have found true even if I'd been entirely unaware: that while the film really isn't much on the Horror side, it's an extremely well acted drama. I can easily appreciate all the acclaim Haley Joel Osment earned at the time; his performance stays within the realm of believability throughout and he even injects some authentic humor at times. It's not a movie that will keep me up at night, but I did find it touching and it's been a long while since I found my heart breaking for movie characters.
  24. 10/12 Dawn of the Dead
    Spoiler:
    I'd heard this one was pretty good, and holy damn did it deliver! From the unique pre-credits camera work to the coda played over the end credits, I loved every minute of this 2004 remake. The cast is great, and the characters are all recognizably believable people. I just know that any random assortment of zombie survivors is going to include a guy like Michael, who feels entitled to deride everyone else or a C.J. whose territorialism supersedes any sense of compassion. Everyone's motives are clear, and identifiable and that's what drives the movie. I could easily associate each of them with my own friends and family, and was counting down the moments until it became necessary for someone to shoot my uncle. The zombies are extremely well done here, the music is great (I'll never hear Cash's "The Man Comes Around" the same way again) and the pacing is brisk. Maybe there's a way this film could be better, but I don't know how.
  25. 10/13 Creep Show
    Spoiler:
    For the most part, these short stories are cheesy and dated, but I really liked two of the five: "Tide You Over" featuring Leslie Nielsen and Ted Danson, and "Creeping Up on You" where a cutthroat business tycoon with O.C.D. is threatened by cockroaches. I probably would have recommended separating the Hal Holbrook segment and further developed it as its own feature but they didn't ask me. I was all of three at the time, so maybe that's for the best. George Romero and Stephen King seem to know what they're doing.
  26. 10/13 Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
    Spoiler:
    I was reassured I needn't have seen the preceding Hammer "Dracula" films, and warned that this one was flawed: both proved true. The story is rather ho-hum: a handful of dedicated investigators (whose organization escaped my notice) have traced a group of prominent pillars of society to a singular Satanic cult. And since this is a "Dracula" movie, naturally the age old vampire turns out to be involved with the cult. Very dated, and somewhat tired.
  27. 10/16 Piranha
    Spoiler:
    We traded in a bunch of stuff at Half Price Books and found the "Roger Corman Classics" release of this brand new for $3.00 so we took a chance. It was exactly as advertised, which is to say a whole lot of fun. The humor was great, there was just enough real tension to keep us interested between each mauling and there's even some commentary on the military industrial complex and increasingly outdated views of masculinity. Loved every one of these 92 minutes.
  28. 10/16 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
    Spoiler:
    John Barrymore is perfect in both roles; his Jekyll is perfectly dull and his Hyde seethes with unseemliness. The rest of the cast is clearly overshadowed, and it's always hard to criticize silent film acting anyway. I was surprised to hear sound effects and even some crowd noise; were these part of the original film, or have they been added after the fact? They were startling at times, distracting at others.
  29. 10/17 The Lost Boys
    Spoiler:
    A longtime favorite of my wife's, and a first time viewing for me. I see it as the missing link between The Goonies and Twilight, and clearly taking its cues from the "Thriller" music video; not a lot of substance, but plenty of style. The 80s may not have aged well, but Bo Welch's production design still looks great after 23 years.
  30. 10/17 Night of the Living Dead
    Spoiler:
    I've seen it before, several years ago, but I'm more familiar with the 1990 remake. Tonight I was reminded of how much I'd forgotten and was surprised by how much tension is really sustained throughout the movie. A lot of this has to do with the periodic newscast updates; they're played perfectly straight, as a local broadcast from the period would have covered the story. And give credit to Duane Jones, whose performance as Ben really carries the movie.
  31. 10/18 Night of the Living Dead
    Spoiler:
    My first time watching the original and remake back-to-back, and it was rather revealing. On a lot of levels, the remake is an improvement over its predecessor. And yet, I felt like I was watching a movie during the remake; it felt less organic than the original. It was almost like going from a documentary to a dramatization, where the point of the latter is to hit the essential points of the story rather than to explore its depths. Still, I think it holds up fairly well 20 years later on its own merits.
  32. 10/18 Night of the Living Dead with Mike Nelson commentary track
    Spoiler:
    Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 recorded this track in 2003 for the colorized version of the film. He goes to the "This is what life is like in Wisconsin" well too many times early on, but my chief complaint is that he gets on the movie for its slow pace and lack of anything dynamic occurring for long stretches, but doesn't really punch up the movie with any humor himself.

    And since this version was colorized, I'll go ahead and note that the colorization (why don't we call it, "coloring?") was garish. Way too many pastels, which I personally found entirely incongruous with not only the feel of the film, but it just wasn't a plausible decorating aesthetic for an old farm house. Unless, of course, that had been one fabulous farmer.
  33. 10/19 Penny Dreadful
    Spoiler:
    A variation on the classic psychotic hitchhiker story, Penny and her therapist are stalked by a guy in the mountains. The movie never bothers to be more complicated than that, and the majority of the film takes place in the car which is quickly trapped between two trees (somehow). The segments of the killer toying with Penny are genuinely creepy, but the rest of the film is pretty weak. It clocks in at just around 90 minutes...which is probably 20 minutes longer than it needed to be.
  34. 10/19 Scalps
    Spoiler:
    One of our consignors brought this into my family's shop several years ago and it never sold so I wound up snagging it. Never got around to watching it until now. Anyway, a shady professor has recruited six college coeds to accompany him on an illegal dig around Indian burial grounds. Naturally, they awaken some dark spirits and violence ensues. The premise is actually interesting, and for the most part the cast is surprisingly good; no one ever went over the top and they're fairly believable characters. The story is rather predictable, but in a movie like this that's part of the fun--you know what's coming, and the movie gives it to you.
  35. 10/20 Critters
    Spoiler:
    Another first time viewing for me of one of my wife's favorites. The story is pretty straightforward: a group of violent "Crites" has stolen a spaceship and landed in Kansas. This is clearly a product of the 80s; the hero of the film is a precocious young boy whose idea of fun revolves around making his own firecrackers. There are some obvious sexist overtones; dad keeps getting attacked, but keeps persevering, while mom largely screams and is in a daze for most of the film after taking a singular quill to the throat, and the son is the brave one, while his older sister contributes absolutely nothing to the survival of the family. Still, the film holds up fairly well--at least, for someone from its target audience generation.
  36. 10/20 Broken Lizard's Club Dread
    Spoiler:
    The comedy troupe turns in its take on the slasher film, and it's played a lot more straight than you'd think. It's not so much a horror comedy as it simply a self-aware slasher film. Coconut Pete (Bill Paxton), a Jimmy Buffett-type singer, has established his own hedonistic island resort in Costa Rica...and now the staff is being targeted for vicious killings. There are enough red herrings to keep you guessing, and plenty of eye candy between acts of violence.
  37. 10/20 Jeepers Creepers
    Spoiler:
    My wife and I watched this together years ago when we first started seeing each other and it was creepy as hell then. Seven years later, I can report it's still pretty creepy. A brother & sister (Justin Long & Gina Philips) are harassed on a country road by a deranged driver. The effects are great, and the tension escalates until its rather unsettling crescendo.
  38. 10/20 Igor
    Spoiler:
    While checking our TV listings tonight, I happened upon this just before it started and decided to check it out. It's an animated take on the Frankenstein story from the perspective of an Igor with ambitions to be an evil scientist. He's creating his own monster--in violation of social norms--which he hopes will win him acclaim at the annual Evil Science Fair. It's an enjoyable (though predictable) romp with a great cast---especially Steve Buscemi as the immortal and bleak Scamp.
  39. 10/21 Jeepers Creepers II
    Spoiler:
    Despite owning this on DVD for years, neither my wife nor I had gotten around to viewing it until tonight. It picks up four days after the first film, with a high school basketball team passing through The Creeper's kill zone on the final day of his alloted 23 day eating period. The effects are still impressive, but the film suffers from over-exposure of The Creeper and the lack of compelling story amongst his potential victims. I likened it to The Lost World, which lacked the charisma of Jurassic Park and tried to get by entirely on dinosaurs running amok.
  40. 10/21 Bloodtide
    Spoiler:
    An ancient creature once placated by the sacrifice of Greek virgins has been dormant for centuries until Darth Vader goes and unwittingly releases it to prey on the locals. The beast effects are terribly dated (the film is from 1981), and the story is average at best. Still, the cast gives it what they've got and that's what keeps it from being a colossal waste of 82 minutes.
  41. 10/21 Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
    Spoiler:
    A first time viewing, and for the most part I was thrilled to find it lived up to its reputation. Max Shrek is genuinely menacing as Count Orlock, and the film is very dynamic; much more so than, say, Tod Browning's production of Dracula. The only complaint I have is that the version we streamed from Netflix (touted as, "The Original Version," no less) featured a New Age sounding score that was clearly recorded recently and entirely incongruous with the film itself.
  42. 10/22 Shadow of the Vampire
    Spoiler:
    I saw this during its theatrical run and loved it, and it's a shame I didn't see Nosferatu until tonight. They did an astounding job recreating the sets and shots of the original film. For the uninformed, this is a fictionalized account of the production of Nosferatu in which Max Shrek (Willem Dafoe) is presented not as an actor, but as an actual vampire who preys upon the cast and crew while an obsessed F.W. Murnau (John Malkovich) insists on getting his shots.

    Easily my favorite scene in the whole film comes when Shrek shares his thoughts on Bram Stoker's "Dracula," saying the novel made him sad. Asked to elaborate, he launches into this unexpected soliloquy on how pathetic it is for the immortal count to have to receive his guest with no servants, having to do all those little things himself despite not having bothered with them in centuries. It's absolutely brilliant.
  43. 10/23 Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
    Spoiler:
    Westerns and Horror: two great genres that go great together! Jesse James and Hank Tracy are on the run (and believed dead) in South America and wind up ensnared by the grandchildren of the famed mad scientist, who are trying to recreate his twisted experiments with creating life. A B-movie through and through, with plot holes and obviously cheap production design, the highlights for me were seeing Jim Davis in a role other than as Jock Ewing and the eye candy of Estelita Rodriguez as Juanita.
  44. 10/23 Thriller "The Grim Reaper"
    Spoiler:
    William Shatner stars as a guy whose aunt is a very successful mystery writer, who just bought a cursed painting of the grim reaper. Fifteen of its seventeen previous owners met with unexpected, violent deaths and the Shat is there to persuade his aunt to divest herself of it. The cast is great, the story is taut and marked with self-aware humor, and it's enough to make me want to explore the rest of this series that I'd never heard of until recently.
  45. 10/24 Ghostbusters
    Spoiler:
    Sometime last year, I believe, I re-watched Ghostbusters and said I found it hadn't aged very well for me. Last night, my wife and I met a friend for a midnight screening of it and I have to say I have no idea what state of mind I was in when I took such a dim view of the movie. Horrible special effects aside, the movie is flat-out great. Maybe it helped seeing it with an appreciative and enthusiastic audience. It's a shame our plans with my cousin fell through, because we had originally planned to see Paranormal Activity 2 right before, and that would have made a great double feature.
  46. 10/24 Ghostbusters audio commentary with Harold Ramis, Ivan Reitman and Joe Medjuck
    Spoiler:
    It was a little strange hearing Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis make a few "approaching millennium" jokes. Joe Medjuck almost feels like he was recorded separately throughout much of the film because he interjects thoughts apropos of nothing, and the other two don't really respond to him; it's like they're having a back-and-forth and he's randomly inserted into their conversation. In the final act, though, they interact with one another much more organically. Would've been nice to have had Dan Aykroyd contribute, since the majority of the commentary track is dedicated to giving him credit for originating the whole idea in the first place, and tracing the evolution of his 40-page treatment into the film icon we know today.
  47. 10/25 Bats
    Spoiler:
    Oh, you silly government scientists and your dreams of tampering with a species and then controlling it. This time, it's a group of bats that have escaped from their lab and have begun preying on a small Texas town. Dina Meyer is a bat specialist called in by the CDC to help Sheriff Lou Diamond Philips contain and destroy. Predictable and simple, but there are a few moments of people being swarmed by bats that were genuinely bothersome.
  48. 10/25 Opera
    Spoiler:
    My first ever giallo, this is about an opera understudy who is forced to watch as members of her production company are killed one by one. At times it feels like a B-movie; at other times it reminded me of Hot Fuzz (partly because the actor playing the director looks like Simon Pegg). It's an Italian production, but the version I streamed from Netflix was dubbed in English. Very enjoyable for a slasher film.
  49. 10/26 La Manoir du Diable [House of the Devil]
    Spoiler:
    It's a 3 minute short filmed in 1896 that many regard to be the first ever horror film. The narrative is weak, but the ideas and visual effects--despite being primitive--are clever and engaging.
  50. 10/26 Boo
    Spoiler:
    A 10-minute mash-up of footage from The Cat Creeps, Nosferatu and Frankenstein played for laughs, produced by Universal in 1932. It's especially interesting that they elected to use the Nosferatu material (in which Count Orlock is actually called "Dracula") given that they had their own Dracula film from which they could have used footage. A nice addendum to the Frankenstein Legacy Collection box.
  51. 10/26 Frankenweenie - Uncut Version
    Spoiler:
    Tim Burton's 1984 short film about a young boy named Victor Frankenstein who resurrects his dog Sparky and incites the fearful wrath of his neighbors. The universal appeal of the story about a boy and his dog are the heart of this take on Frankenstein and give it some emotional depth.
  52. 10/26 Vincent
    Spoiler:
    A six minute short about a boy named Vincent who is obsessed with macabre icons Vincent Price (who narrates the poem) and Edgar Allan Poe. Sort of a morose Shel Silverstein project.
  53. 10/26 Frankenstein
    Spoiler:
    The 1910 silent short film version presents a very abridged adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel. The copy I viewed was downloaded from Archive.org and it's pretty rough, but I have to say I totally dug the creation of the Monster and his make-up. Far more grotesque than, say, the iconic Karloff version. A shame this was so short.
  54. 10/26 The Ring
    Spoiler:
    This one is pretty high on the creepy-factor, but then any story that involves freaked out animals, emotionally distant children with unnatural knowledge of the supernatural and a bleak color scheme is gonna be creepy. That DVD menu by the way isn't clever; it's obnoxious.
  55. 10/26 Don't Watch This
    Spoiler:
    A short film comprised of deleted scenes that offers some new insight into The Ring. Necessary? No. But a nice supplement and a clever use of such material, rather than the standard presentation of deleted scenes as standalone excerpts.
  56. 10/26 The Ring Two
    Spoiler:
    Ah, the sequel. Sometimes these follow a protagonist, sometimes the antagonist. The Ring Two opted to reunite both..."and this time, it's personal." There's a scene in which a bathroom is made to be scary and for a guy with Crohn's that was out of my comfort zone. The rest of the film was pretty predictable and weak; in other words, an obvious sequel.
  57. 10/26 Rings
    Spoiler:
    A short film that serves as sort of a bridge between The Ring and The Ring Two. Unlike Don't Watch This, this is a complete short film unto itself and is actually far more effective and interesting than the actual sequel. It follows the spread of the Ring video as it's gone viral to Jake, whom we meet in the opening of Ring Two.
  58. 10/27 Full Tilt Boogie
    Spoiler:
    I loved this documentary about the making of From Dusk Till Dawn, because it focuses primarily on the non-creative crew that are almost always ignored in behind-the-scenes features. George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino are featured prominently, which seems in keeping with their extroverted personalities. Most interesting in this 13 year old documentary is that the non-union crew's biggest victory is winning health insurance.
  59. 10/28 Blood for Dracula
    Spoiler:
    I wasn't particularly drawn to Flesh for Frankenstein when I streamed that for the Criterion Challenge, so I was a bit reluctant to explore this companion film. I found I enjoyed it far more, for two basic reasons. Firstly, I found the premise more interesting: Dracula is dying and must find the blood of a virgin to continue living. Secondly, there is a lot of commentary on class issues as well as an exploration of sexual values. The sexuality here feels more organic and artistic than it felt in Flesh for Frankenstein; it actually advances the story. I think I prefer this to Bram Stoker's Dracula, and I certainly enjoyed it more than the lethargic Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride.
  60. 10/28 Paranormal Activity 2
    Spoiler:
    It was really weird, because my wife and cousin and I were the only three people there. On the whole, I enjoyed it and thought they were very clever about the story they told but it definitely felt like a studio production. The actress that played Ali was quite impressive; I expect we'll see more of her in the coming years.
  61. 10/28 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
    Spoiler:
    It's been years since I last saw this, though I have recently seen the brilliant Robot Chicken parody a few times. I was struck by how intelligent the special really is, from the wordy dialog to Linus's completely insane campaign speech.
  62. 10/29 Friday the 13th, Part 2
    Spoiler:
    Five years after the events of the first film, another camp is set to open near Crystal Lake and attracts the attention of the mythical Jason Vorhees. It introduces quite a lot to the "Jason" mythology, establishing him as an adult character. A fun little slasher film, though I'd prefer to re-watch Club Dread.
  63. 10/30 Halloween
    Spoiler:
    Talking with a friend of mine about this challenge recently elicited some heavy endorsement for this that swayed me to splurge and buy it on Blu-ray for $10 at Walmart. My viewing was interrupted by several trips to the bathroom; enough that it added an entire hour to the viewing, and the consequence was that the momentum and tension didn't get a chance to really build properly for me. Still, I loved the idea of placing Michael Myers's stalkings in the middle of suburbia; sometimes it's creepier when someone is doing things right in front of everyone than it is when they're out in the middle of nowhere.
  64. 10/30 Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
    Spoiler:
    A nice little coda to the Universal Monster features, the comedic duo are caught up in a plot by Count Dracula to place a more docile and controllable brain into Frankenstein's Monster. The fiends are opposed by Larry Talbot, himself now committed to stopping the vampire. Bela Lugosi is actually more interesting as Dracula here than he was in Dracula, partly because Tod Browning's production was so static and partly, I'm sure, because by this point he'd become more comfortable with such performances. Especially fun is Lon Chaney, Jr. who really gets into the spirit of things as the Wolf Man, playing for some laughs with a great physical comedy performance.
  65. 10/30 I Know What You Did Last Summer
    Spoiler:
    The cast and soundtrack date this as a late 90s production, and even if they didn't it just feels like a movie from that era. It's an alright mystery, but there were several "Wait just a minute" moments that detracted from the overall story. Still, I'm a sucker for Jennifer Love Hewitt so it wasn't a complete loss.
  66. 10/30 I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
    Spoiler:
    Ah, the slasher sequel. It's always problematic to keep pitting survivors against the same killer, because at some point you ask just why it is that so many other people in two damn movies have died so quickly but the guy doesn't seem to be able to dispatch these few otherwise ordinary characters. Where this movie works, though--and actually improves on its predecessor--is the charisma of its cast. Mekhi Pfifer is far more likable than was Ryan Phillippe, and Brandy lights up the screen in all of her scenes. In fact, she and Jennifer Love Hewitt have better chemistry than any of the other on-screen friendships or couples in either film. The final 10-15 minutes were weak, and I could have done without that entirely forced coda.
  67. 10/30 The Little Shop of Horrors
    Spoiler:
    I've seen and enjoyed the remake, but this was my first viewing of Roger Corman's original picture. The DVD transfer was horrible, but I was still able to enjoy the film for its originality. Mel Welles was hilarious as Mushnick, and it was entertaining to hear such a high-pitched, young Jack Nicholson. The Seymour/Audrey relationship reminded me of Where's Poppa?, especially the dinner scene.
  68. 10/31 The Crow
    Spoiler:
    I remember when this was still in production, even before Brandon Lee's unanticipated death, and several classmates of mine were absolutely stoked about this. My perception at the time was that it was a goth movie for the MTV audience. Today, that would be an oxymoron, but in the early 90s there was still some credibility in the idea. Viewing it for the first time now, I see a lot of ways in which I was right with my speculation, from the soundtrack to the editing and production design. What I didn't account for was Brandon Lee's fascinating performance, alternately sympathetic and imposing; it takes all of about a minute of screen time to be charmed by the guy.
  69. 10/31 From Hell
    Spoiler:
    Jack the Ripper, as postulated by Alan Moore. The whole film is one large conspiracy theory, but just plausible enough to be even more chilling than the widely accepted notions of the notorious serial killer simply having a predilection for prostitutes. Glad I finally got around to seeing this; now I just need to get around to reading the source material.
  70. 10/31 The Walking Dead "Days Go Bye"
    Spoiler:
    Premiere episode of AMC's TV series, adapted from the comic book series. I had seen the sneak peak promoted on iTunes recently, and a conversation with a friend of mine about this horror challenge prompted him to encourage us to check it out based on his enjoyment of the source material. As far as pilots go, this one was a cut above the rest; the characters and rules of the series are established without a lot of awkward exposition, and the zombie designs are among the best I've ever seen. If I had one nitpick, it's that at the end of the 90 minute episode, I can't say I felt like much else happened aside from those introductions. But then, this is the advantage to TV: they have the luxury of time to explore things that films (especially in the horror genre) can't afford.
  71. 11/01 Le Chaudron Infernal [The Infernal Cauldron]
    Spoiler:
    A 66 second short film produced in 1903 featuring a pair of green skinned demons who round up three people, chuck them into a cauldron and watch their spirits ascend and then erupt into flames. From what I read online, each frame was hand colored; no small feat for the time. It's freaky to watch, 107 years later.
  72. 11/01 Bubba Ho-Tep
    Spoiler:
    By 1:00 in the morning I decided that I just wasn't interested in squeezing in some more stuff from the unwatched pile and elected to run this challenge out with some of my favorites. This viewing was just like all the others, in that I found myself enjoying it even more than the last time I saw it. I still don't know how they ever sold Ossie Davis on this role but he's the whole reason that it works as well as it does; his presence elevates Bruce Campbell's truly delightful performance as Elvis. Here's my review of the DVD.
  73. 11/01 Shaun of the Dead
    Spoiler:
    My pick for movie of the decade. No, really. Aside from being infinitely re-watchable because of its quick pace, identifiable characters and snappy dialog, I see the film as the perfect microcosm of the post-9/11 world, in which the daily lives of everyone around the world were constantly interrupted by reminders of ever-present dangers around every corner. The retreat to the pub marks a universal desire for the safety of "home," wherever that may be, and as it turns out we can go home again...but it won't be what we want it to be. Plus, Kate Ashfield is cute as hell.
  74. 11/01 Roseanne "Boo!"
    Spoiler:
    The first of seven Halloween-themed episodes from the series, what makes this one interesting is that it's a series of escalating tricks being played by the family on one another. I never did any "tricking" growing up, so it was left to TV shows for me to get my vicarious kicks in that regard. I wonder if perhaps tricks aren't a dying part of the Halloween tradition, yielding to marathon viewings of torture porn instead.
  75. 11/01 From Dusk Till Dawn
    Spoiler:
    It's funny, because the first time I ever saw this was a night back in high school when my friends and I stayed up all night watching movies and we finished with this just as dawn broke. Three things: George Clooney is hilarious, Tom Savini is cool as Sex Machine and Salma Hayek may never have been hotter. I love this movie. Perfect way to end the challenge!



Totals
MOVIES: 53 First time viewings (including 3 commentary tracks) | * 10 Repeat viewings
SHORT FILMS: 6 First time viewings | * 2 Repeat viewings
TV EPISODES & SPECIALS 2 First time viewings | * 2 Repeat viewings
Blu-ray Disc: 1 | Netflix Watch Instantly: 7 | Theatrical Exhibition: 2 | TV Broadcast: 2 | iTunes Digital Download: 1 | Podcast: 1


Personal Goal: The Unwatched Horror List 39/50
(not participating in the daily film or theme subsets this year)
Spoiler:
  1. -X- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
  2. -X- The Bat
  3. -X- Bats
  4. -X- Blood Tide
  5. -X- Borderland
  6. -X- Circus of Fear
  7. -X- Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
  8. -X- Creep Show
  9. -X- Critters
  10. -X- The Crow
  11. -X- The Dark
  12. -X- The Darkroom
  13. -X- Dawn of the Dead
  14. -X- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
  15. -X- Bram Stoker's Dracula
  16. --- Final Destination 3
  17. --- Five Minutes to Live
  18. -X- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
  19. -X- Friday the 13th Part 2
  20. -X- From Hell
  21. -X- Halloween
  22. -X- Hideaway
  23. -X- Horror Express
  24. --- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  25. --- Hush
  26. -X- I Know What You Did Last Summer
  27. -X- I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
  28. -X- Jeepers Creepers II
  29. -X- The Last Man on Earth
  30. --- The Legend of Boggy Creek
  31. -X- The Little Shop of Horrors
  32. -X- The Lost Boys
  33. -X- Nightmare Man
  34. --- Panic Room
  35. -X- Penny Dreadful
  36. -X- Piranha
  37. --- Rest Stop: Dead Ahead Uncut
  38. -X- The Ring [watched last year, but don't recall much from it]
  39. -X- The Ring Two [watched last year, but don't recall much from it]
  40. --- Saw III
  41. -X- Scalps
  42. -X- She-Wolf of London
  43. -X- The Sixth Sense
  44. -X- The Terror
  45. -X- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
  46. --- Watchers
  47. --- Watchers II
  48. -X- WereWolf of London
  49. --- Wicked Little Things
  50. -X- The Wolf Man



Checklist
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
-X- 1890 - La Manoir du Diable [House of the Devil] (1896)
-X- 1900 - Le Chaudron Infernal [The Infernal Cauldron] (1903)
-X- 1910 - Frankenstein (1910)
-X- 1920 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
-X- 1930 - WereWolf of London (1935)
-X- 1940 - She-Wolf of London (1946)
-X- 1950 - The Bat (1959)
-X- 1960 - Last Man on Earth (1964)
-X- 1970 - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
-X- 1980 - The Evil Dead (1981)
-X- 1990 - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
-X- 2000 - Nightmare Man (2006)
-X- 2010 - Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - WereWolf of London
-X- G - Vincent
-X- PG - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
-X- PG-13 - Killer Klowns from Outer Space
-X- R - Bram Stoker's Dracula (For violence, sexuality and language)
-X- NC-17 - The Evil Dead (For Substantial Graphic Horror Violence and Gore)
-X- X - Blood for Dracula
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - Borderland

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format - Bram Stoker's Dracula, DVD
-X- Second format - Zombieland, TV broadcast (Starz)
-X- Third format - The Evil Dead, Streaming (Netflix)

Watch a film starring:
-X- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
-X- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo - From Dusk Till Dawn
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
-X- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine - Halloween
-X- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman - Penny Dreadful
-X- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David - Night of the Living Dead
-X- Dick Miller -or- David Warner - Piranha
-X- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - Piranha
-X- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - Night of the Living Dead
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- First language -
--- Second language -

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - Bram Stoker's Dracula
-X- Frankenstein - Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
-X- Werewolf - WereWolf of London
--- Mummy -
-X- Ghost/haunting - The Dark
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Nightmare Man
-X- Zombie - Zombieland
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - She-Wolf of London
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Horror Express
-X- Documentary - Full Tilt Boogie
-X- Musical - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
-X- Spoof/comedy - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
-X- Revenge - Teeth
--- Killer/evil doll -
-X- Killer/evil animal - Piranha
-X- Killer/evil child - The Dark
-X- Giallo - Opera
--- J horror -
-X- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - Night of the Living Dead (colorized 1968 version with Mike Nelson commentary track)
-X- film and its remake - Night of the Living Dead (1968 & 1990)
-X- based on a novel - Bram Stoker's Dracula
-X- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West - Scalps
-X- won an Academy Award - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992: Best Costume Design - Eiko Ishioka; Best Make-Up - Greg Cannom, Michèle Burke, Matthew W. Mungle; Best Sound Effects Editing - Tom C. McCarthy, David E. Stone)
-X- silent film - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
-X- Criterion version film - Bram Stoker's Dracula (Laser Disc #182)
-X- with commentary - The Wolf Man with commentary by Tom Weaver
-X- film and at least two of its sequels - The Wolf Man/Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man/Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
-X- anthology film - Creep Show
-X- appears on Video Nasties list - The Evil Dead
--- hosted by Elvira -
-X- takes place on a holiday - Halloween
--- takes place in space -
-X- takes place on or under the sea - The Dark
-X- animated film - Igor
--- called "Day of ..." -
-X- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Living Dead
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
-X- called "Attack of ..." - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
-X- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - Night of the Living Dead


The Awards - Only first time viewings are eligible
  • "I Understand Why That's Considered a Classic": Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
  • "I Liked That a Lot More Than I Expected To": Killer Klowns from Outer Space
  • Creepiest Villain: Count Orlock (Max Shreck) in Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
  • "That Made Me Laugh" (Intentional): Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
  • "That Made Me Laugh" (Unintentional): Friday the 13th, Part 2
  • Best Erotic Content (Non-Nude): Salma Hayek's dance in From Dusk Till Dawn Actually a repeat viewing, but nothing has topped this yet.
  • Best Erotic Content (Nude): About 75% of Blood for Dracula
  • Favorite Performance by a James Bond Alumnus: Telly Savalas in Horror Express
  • Best Use of Music: Dawn of the Dead
  • Most Dated Use of Music: The Lost Boys

Sketches
I've felt inspired to dash off a few sketches while participating in this challenge:
Count Dracula
The Urbane Monster
Either Miranda Lambert or Jennifer Aniston as a Vampire


Last edited by Travis McClain; 10-03-11 at 03:58 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:22 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread



1. Millennium S1 "Pilot", "Gehenna"
2. The Graves
3. Millennium S1 "Dead Letters"; Vampire Diaries S2 "Kill or Be Killed"
4. Millennium S1 "522666"; "Kingdom Come"
5. Millennium S1 "Wide Open"; "The Wild and the Innocent"
6. Halloween II (2009)
7. Hellbound: Hellraiser II
8. Millennium S1 "Weeds"; "Loin Like a Hunting Flame"
8.5 Vampire Diaries S2 "Plan B"
9.5 Saw III
10.5 Saw IV
11.5 Jeepers Creepers 2
12. Poltergeist: The Legacy S2 "Someone to Watch Over Me"
13. Millennium S1 "Force Majeure", "The Thin White Line"
13.5 Millennium S1 "Sacrament"
14.5 House on Haunted Hill (1999)
15. Vampire Diaries S2 "Masquerade"
16. Wrong Turn 2
16.5. Modern Family S2 "Halloween"; Outsourced S1 "Bolloween"
17.5. The Strangers
18.5. Red: Werewolf Hunter
19.5 Dawn of the Dead (2004)
20. The Walking Dead S1 "Pilot"

Last edited by Fist of Doom; 11-01-10 at 12:48 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:27 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

List complete at 31.5 with 6 new to me. Goal was 31.

Past results:
2006: 31
2007: 40
2008: 24
2009: 33

Interestingly there are only 2 movies that I've watched all 5 years, Nightmare on Elm Street and Suspiria. Makes sense as they are probably my 2 favorite horror movies, if not favorite movies period. I was surprised Halloween 78 didn't make that list, but apparantly last year I opted to watch the remake instead (in my defense I had just watched the original in September, but it's still a bummer). The other surprise in looking through the past is I have watched I Walked With a Zombie 4 out of the 5 years, just missing 2006 as I had not yet discovered it. It appears as though all others have been watched in 3 or less challenges. Interesting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In for my 5th year. Keeping my usual goal of 31. October is just too busy of a month for me to hope for more.

October 1:
1) Frozen (2010) - Blu-Ray **** (new to me)
What an awesome movie! Bought this one blind mostly based on the cool cover and that it was written/directed by Adam Green (loved Hatchet). It wasn't a disappointment. The writing and acting were great, and the characters were easy to connect with. From what I hear they didn't use much if any CGI, so I can't wait to watch the extras and find out what they went through making this one. Great stuff.

October 2:
2) Suspiria (1977) - Limited Edition DVD *****
I'm sure I will be repeating myself from past challenges. Suspiria is not so much a "movie" as it is a nightmare caught on film. The colors, the textures, the score. They all come together perfectly to create a mood that can't be described. I know it's not a movie for everyone, as is the case with most of Argento's work, but for me it just gets better and better every time I watch it.

October 3:
3) Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Millennium Edition DVD *****
I have been really weak on my Romero watching in the past challenges. I'm going to fix that this year. NotLD is an all time classic which defined a genre. Love it!

4) Dawn of the Dead (Theatrical Cut) (1978) - Ultimate Edition DVD *****
Another zombie classic that helped shape all that have come since. I think my favorite part of Dawn is simply when the main characters have the run of the mall and are like kids in a candy shop. Who wouldn't want to do that for a couple days? Of course the zombies would kind of put a damper on that...

5) Day of the Dead (1985) - Divimax DVD ****
Day is a very claustrophobic film. Much of the running time is focused on the conflicts between the civilian scientists and the military, who are forced to live and work together. It's interesting that this causes as much if not more tension than the zombies themselves. A very different film than Night and Dawn, Day is still great and deserves more praise than it usually receives.

6) Land of the Dead (2005) - Unrated Director's Cut DVD ***1/2
Almost the polar opposite of Day, Land is certainly a different movie than the first three. It's obvious the budget was way higher, but with it came some studio tampering which keeps it from really feeling like a Romero movie through and through. That said, it really is a lot of fun. Too many people complain about the zombies getting too smart, but if you watch the first 3, you can see it's been an evolution. Heck, even in Night they were already using tools. I don't think it's a stretch at all.

October 4:
7) Diary of the Dead (2007) - Blu-Ray ***
One of the great things about Romero is that even though zombies are his thing, he is always able to take a different approach and make the genre seem fresh. The unfortunate part about Diary is that it came about on the heels of a few other very successful movies with the same "shaky cam" style. Had it blazed the trail, it would have probably been more successful. There was a bit too much discussion about why the camera man kept filming. Yes...in real life it would be stupid for him to keep filming everything, but for the movie's sake it was necessary, so the characters shouldn't have kept bringing it up again and again. It also seems to bog itself down a bit with the technology part of the plot. I realize that this is where some of Romero's social commentary lies in this one, but it trips the movie up a bit this time. I'm probably making it sounds like I didn't like the movie though, which is not the case at all. There are many great moments (I loved the scenes in the hospital and the amish farm), and it is great to see Romero head back to his low-budget full control roots. The "shaky cam" style also added a nice feeling of being there with the characters, and added a layer of suspense that would have been missing had it been made in a traditional style.

8) Survival of the Dead (2009) - Ultimate Undead Edition Blu-Ray ***1/2
Fun. People seem to spend so much time ripping this one apart that they don't seem to notice that Romero is just having fun with this one. I know I had fun watching it. Is it at the level of the original trilogy? Hell no, but I honestly don't think it's trying to be. I really enjoyed the characters. I loved how it tied into Diary, and I've heard a rumor that the next Dead movie may focus on another group of people that we met in that movie. Yes, there were a few parts that were groan worthy. The zombie girl riding the horse was a little lame. The family fued was a little overdone. The female soldier pleasuring herself right in front of everyone was pretty dumb. But there were a lot of great moments to balance out the bad, so what the heck. Zombie fishing? Awesome! Live zombie heads on posts? Awesome! Like I said...lots of fun to be had here, and it was obvious that Romero and his crew were having fun making it. That's what it's all about.

9) Cat People (1942) - The Val Lewton Horror Collection DVD ***
A classic through and through. Atmosphere in spades. Gotta love it.

10) Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994) - Anchor Bay Collection DVD **1/2 (new to me)
Definitely the weakest Phantasm so far (I haven't seen 4 yet), but even bad Phantasm is pretty cool. Gotta love the balls, and the tall man is easily one of the scariest of the horror icons.

October 5:
11) A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) - Blu-Ray ***1/2 (new to me)
I feared this remake more than any of the others up to this point, and I'm not usually "that guy". It just didn't seem possible to replace Robert Englund. Turns out...it isn't. Sure, the new guy did the best he could, and was affective in his own way. It seemed as though both the writing and acting were trying so very hard to not imitate Englund that they managed to lose "Freddy" in the process. There is just plain no reason why they didn't use Englund in this, and that alone would have helped make this a great movie. Besides that some of the CGI was pretty bad (the Freddy coming out of the wall scene...come on...we saw better in 1996's The Frighteners. The original was so much more effective). Freddy's make-up...I don't know about yet. Sometimes it looked really awesome, but sometimes it looked really bad. Not sure what was going on there. Was that partially CGI or something? My only other complaint was that as a fairly new parent, the molestation stuff made me way uncomfortable. Yea...that was the point, but I thought the way it handled in the original was better.

That said, there is a lot of great stuff here. The production values, the direction and especially the cinematography are all excellent. The scene in the classroom where the class disappears was downright awesome. The pharmacy scene was also a stand-out. Most of the dream imagery was really, really good and there were many nods to the original series. Most of the acting was pretty good...I especially liked the new Nancy and Quentin...both great actors. I also liked how they didn't stick to the original story much at all. They used the basics but ran their own way with it. That's how a remake should be done in my opinion.

October 6:
none

October 7:
none

October 8:
12) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - Blu-Ray *****
Probably my all time favorite horror movie, if not favorite movie period. The sequels are fun, even the remake is pretty decent, but nothing can touch the original.

13) A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) - Platinum Series DVD ***
Freddy's Revenge is a much better movie than it's given credit for. Yea, yea...I know...homoerotic blah blah blah. But get past that and there's a lot to enjoy here. The opening scene on the bus is one of the best scenes in the franchise. Freddy is still dark and menacing. The scene in Brady's room where Freddy literally tears out of Jessie is great too. Give it another chance with an open mind.

14) A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) - Platinum Series DVD ****
Even though this is the beginning of "cartoon" Freddy, this is still one of the best sequels. So many iconic scenes in this one, from the puppet, to the TV, to the "worm", and of course the return of Nancy.

15) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) - Platinum Series DVD ***
Most of the scares are gone, and Freddy is more a comedian now than a monster, but there are still a lot of cool moments in this one.

October 9:
16) A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) - Platinum Series DVD ***1/2
While Freddy is still more funny than scary here, the gothic scenery and backstory of Freddy's origins help elevate this one. I really like the cast of characters in this one too.

17) House on Haunted Hill (1999) - DVD **1/2
Silly movie with bad acting, bad CGI, and bad writing, yet it is greatly entertaining. It doesn't hold a candle to the original, but I'll be damned if it's not a fun ride!

October 10:
18) Mother of Tears (2007) - Unrated DVD **** (new to me)
I'll admit it, I was afraid to watch Mother of Tears. I have a terrible love for Suspiria. Inferno never did measure up to it for me, but I still enjoy parts of it quite a bit. From what I had heard about MoT, I thought it would be a disgrace to the "trilogy", therefore I had been putting it off and putting it off since it first came out. After finally breaking down and watching it, I am amazed how much better it was than I had feared. It doesn't hold up to Suspiria (though not much does), but it's every bit as enjoyable as Inferno to me, and maybe more so even. I do wish Argento had stuck with a bit more of the color/texture signature that the others had, and yes there were a few other places that could have been better (I wasn't big on the disappearing trick, the giggling teen witches, or the ghost of mom stuff), but there was plenty of good to balance it out. And it had Argentos return to having an evil monkey...how can you not love that?

October 11:
none

October 12:
19) Uzumaki (Spiral) (2000) - DVD **1/2
Such a wonderfully weird and messed-up movie. I really can't put this one into words...you just have to watch it.

October 13:
none

October 14:
none

October 15:
20) The Ring (2002) - DVD ****
The Ring is quite possibly the only example of a remake that I enjoy more than the original, especially when it comes to remakes of Asian horror films. Don't get me wrong, I greatly enjoy Ringu, but for some reason I find this remake more enjoyable and more frightening. Maybe it's because I saw this one first, but even after revisiting it now years later, I still stick by this opinion. Either way, this is one heck of a great horror movie. Great story, great acting, and truly scary. Love it.

October 16:
21) The Ring Two (2005) - Unrated DVD **1/2
While still a decent movie, unfortunately this is a big step down from the first. The biggest problem is that other than a couple key scenes, it just wasn't scary. There was some nice atmosphere, acting, and directing, but they just didn't pull together the way The Ring did. Two scenes stand out in my mind though, the bathroom at the fair was quite good, and the tree appearing in the house was pretty cool. It's just too bad that they couldn't capture the magic of the first one again. And dare I even mention CGI deer...the deer in Tommy Boy was more effective...

October 17:
22) Ju-on: The Grudge (2002) - DVD ****1/2
The first time I saw Ju-on, before the countless remakes, spoofs, and rip-offs, I'd have to say it was the scariest movie I had ever seen. Now seeing it for the second time it didn't have quite the same affect on me, but it was still pretty amazing and creepy. The terror has been diminished a bit since it's style has been imitated so many times, but the original is still by far the best. It's one of the few movies that can still put me on edge.

Tonights viewing led to an interesting story afterwards. Right after the movie we headed for bed. I was just coming out of the bathroom when my wife, who was in our bedroom already, said "what's that noise"? I thought it was just the cat, but then it started again. It was a loud, metallic scratching noise coming from the corner of our room. Now under normal circumstances this would have been mostly annoying, but right after watching Ju-on...yea...slightly unsettling. Upon further investigation it seemed to have been coming from the gutter outside, so I gathered my courage (and the big-ass maglite) and went to take a look. I never did find anything, and the noise didn't come back after that, so I'm guessing it was just a squirrel or mouse playing around in the gutter, but who knows. All I know is that I don't usually get that nervous, and my wife really doesn't get rattled easily, but that sure did it for both of us! I spent the next hour plus laying wide awake in bed listening to every little noise in the house. That's definitely the most creeped out I've been in a while! Quite exhilarating!

October 18:
23) Jason X (2001) - Platinum Series DVD ***
Jason X is pure fun. It is so over the top and full of fan service that you can't help but love it. Sure, there's some absolutely horrible writing and acting, and the plot is pretty silly, but come on...it's Jason in space! Some of the franchise's best kills are in this one, including the wicked awesome face freeze, the screw, and of course the sleeping bags. Not a "great" movie, but a definite guilty pleasure.

October 19:
none

October 20:
24) Psycho (1960) - 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray *****
I am smack in the middle of working my way through Hitchcock's entire body of work chronologically, but I just couldn't help cheating on this one by jumping ahead a couple decades. Between the release of this beautifully restored Blu-Ray, and it being horror month, who could blame me? All I can really say about this masterpiece is it's an amazing film on an amazing disc. Kudos to the team responsible for giving us this in high definition. I can't wait for more Hitchcock to hit Blu!

October 21-25:
none - well, at least it was a good start! Probably won't be able to get back on track for 31, but we'll see.

October 26:
25) I Walked with a Zombie (1943) - The Val Lewton Horror Collection DVD ***1/2
I absolutely love the atmosphere in this film. The use of shadows and sound are both wonderful. The trip through the fields to the voodoo ritual is one heck of a scene. Great stuff!

26) Evil Dead II (1987) - The Book of the Dead Divimax DVD ***
Good cheesy fun. I much prefer the original, and am more familiar with that one, but this one is always good for a few laughs. I always seem to forget that this one ends leading right into Army of Darkness. Long live Ash.

October 27:
27) Dracula (1931) - The Legacy Collection DVD ***1/2
It wouldn't be Halloween season without Dracula. In my opinion, no one played the Count like Bela Lugosi. Classic all the way.

28) The House of the Devil (2009) - Blu-Ray **** (new to me)
After all of the praise I have read about this one in the past month, I was afraid it wouldn't be able to live up to it. It did. I adored how they made the movie feel like it was straight out of the '80s. If I hadn't known it was new, I would have never believed it. Great, slow burn build-up. The first kill was awesome! My only complaint was that once stuff started hitting the fan, it was too easy for Samantha to get away initially, and I'm not sure how I felt about the ending (trying to stay spoiler free here). That said, there was a ton to love here. Great stuff, and highly recommended!

October 28:
none

October 29:
29) Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - DVD **1/2
The people responsible for naming this movie should be kicked in the nuts. OK...I kind of get where they wanted to go with the Halloween franchise, being a completely new story each installment. Too bad that was already ruined by having Halloween 2 be a direct sequel. The precedence was set for Halloween to equal Michael Myers. Strike one. Then there is the whole "Season of the Witch" thing. Really? Did I miss where there was a witch anywhere in this movie? This had to have been some sort of horrible mistake because no one in their right mind could have thought THIS movie should have THIS name. The saddest part is, it really is a decent little movie! Had it been called "Silver Shamrock" or heck, even "Death Mask", I bet it would be much more highly regarded than as "The Night He DIDN'T Come Home". So stupid.

October 30:
30) Halloween (1978) - Blu-Ray *****
The original and still the best. To me, this movie is everything wonderful about this season rolled into one. This IS halloween!

October 31:
30.25) Scared Shrekless (2010) - DVR *** (new to me)
A very fun little holiday special featuring some of my favorite animated characters. It's always fun being able to share something like this with my 2 year old. I hope this hits DVD next year.

30.5) It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (1966) - DVD *****
Much like the original Halloween, it just wouldn't be this time of year without the Great Pumpkin! This year's viewing wasn't quite as special as it usually is due to the fact that my daughter has taken to watching it all year long, but I don't have a problem with that.

31.5) Trick 'R Treat (2007) - Blu-Ray *****
Saw this for the first time last year and fell instantly in love. This year it took the coveted Halloween night slot. There is so much to love about this movie, especially how all the stories intertwine. The mood of the season is captured so perfectly and lovingly. I hope they decide to make more of these, as I heard was the plan, and I hope they manage to live up to this.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ended up beating my goal by 1/2 "movie" due to the inclusion of 2 half hour TV specials. I like how that worked this year, even though Great Pumpkin now counts as 3/4 less than it used to. It makes sense.

Unfortunately I only managed to watch 6 that were new to me, but all of them had a lot to love. Frozen and House of the Devil were both huge highlights, and a couple of the best blind buys I've done in a while. Mother of Tears surprised me with how good it was. I'm still not completely sure how I feel about the NoES remake, but I really enjoyed parts of it. As for the old favorites, it was really nice having the Romero-fest early on and visiting with my favorite zombies again. Great year overall, but like usual I wish I could have done more!

Thanks again Chad for doing all that you do to run this great challenge!

Last edited by Jediturtle; 11-04-10 at 10:32 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:29 PM
  #8  
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie (& TV!) Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***

2005 October Horror Movie Challenge List - 79 movies
2006 October Horror Movie Challenge List - 105 movies
2007 October Horror Movie Challenge List - 159 movies
2008 October Horror Movie Challenge List - 164 movies
2009 October Horror Movie Challenge List - 135 (129 movies + 6 Wildcards)


10/1/10

1) Hausu (House) (1977) - Segueing from the Criterion Challenge. Seven teen girls decide to spend summer vacation with the aunt of one of the girls. Words probably won't do this film justice, so I'll just go with these three: Watch this movie.
2) Tôkyô zonbi (Tokyo Zombie) (2005) - A couple of goofballs ride around in a van and use their jujitsu skills to battle zombies. Not bad. I'm sure I would've liked it better if I hadn't just watched the far superior Hausu.
3) Kairo (Pulse) (2001) - Some college kids kill themselves because of some ghosts or something. I had a tough time staying awake through this one.

10/2/10

4) The Dead Hate the Living! (1999) - A film crew making a low budget horror movie stumbles upon a strange machine which they accidentally activate, inadvertently releasing a few monsters intent on killing the living.
5) Daughters of Satan (1972) - Magnum buys a painting of three witches. After he gets it home, the figures in the painting possess his wife (who looks like one of the painting's subjects) and two other women (who look like the other two), all three of whom want to kill Magnum (because he looks like the inquisitor in another painting by the same artist, of course).

10/3/10

6) Bloodlust! (1961) - Mike Brady stars in a local theatrical production loosely based on The Most Dangerous Game. I'm pretty sure I've only seen the MST3K version of this (I know the movie is included as an extra on the MST3K DVD, but I don't think I watched it) so I'll count it as a first time viewing.
7) The Devil's Hand (1962) - A guy gets mixed up with a witch and her cult leader, Commissioner Gordon.

10/4/10

8) The Creeping Terror (1964) - A rocket crashes in the middle of nowhere and a slug-like alien lumbers out and eats a bunch of people, all while a narrator on loan from an old hygiene movie earnestly explains incidentals like characters' names and motivations (which a less avant-garde film would've almost certainly left to outmoded film techniques like "acting" or "dialogue"). I'm somewhat sure I've only seen the MST3K version of this (I know the movie is on the MST3K DVD, but I don't remember watching it) so I'm counting it as a first time viewing.
9) Terrified (1963) - Some guy wearing a black mask tries to run a middle-aged couple off the road, then later in the film he chases some other guy around a ghost town on foot. Sheriff Uncle Jesse shows up near the end of the film to sort of explain the whys and wherefores to all these odd goings on.

10/5/10

10) Land of the Minotaur (1976) - Donald Pleasence plays a priest who battles Peter Cushing and his minotaur worshiping cult. Unfortunately Cushing wasn't given much to do in this one and almost seemed bored with the whole thing, but Pleasence was watchable as yet another monster hunter.
11) The Hearse (1980) - When a woman moves into the old house she inherited from her aunt she has to deal with rude neighbors, electrical and plumbing problems, doors and windows that open and shut by themselves, ghostly visions of her dead aunt, and an old hearse and its driver that show up now and then to harass her. The legendary Joseph Cotten, slumming for an easy paycheck, plays her sleazebag attorney who wants the house for himself.
12) Legend of the Phantom Rider (2000) - Tasha Yar's frontier wife holodeck simulation appears to go horribly awry when she is beaten, imprisoned, and raped by a gang of outlaws. Later a Jonah Hex wannabe pops up for a few gunfights with the bad guys, and Angus Scrimm shows up to remind us that this thing is supposed to be a horror movie.

10/6/10

13) Wild Country (2005) - Five teens on an overnight church outing find a severed head and an abandoned baby in an old castle. They take the baby along on their hike and are stalked across the countryside (and killed one by one) by some funny looking werewolves.

10/7/10

14) Wolf Moon (2009) - Sid Haig is pissed off 'cause a werewolf killed his dog. Billy Drago is pissed off 'cause a werewolf killed his wife. Chris Mulkey is pissed off 'cause a werewolf is dating his daughter. Chris Divecchio (yeah, I have no idea who the hell he is either) is pissed off 'cause he's a werewolf. Together, these pissed off dudes join forces with Maria Conchita Alonso (who is pissed off 'cause she's the female sheriff in a town full of misogynists) to hunt down a werewolf. But first, there's a lot of standing and/or sitting around talking about what it is that's pissin' each of 'em off. Not really a bad movie, but the only reason I'd recommend it is for the song sang by Sid Haig that plays over the closing credits.
15) The... Bewitching (2003) - The random unnecessary ellipsis in the title is the most interesting thing about this shot on video shitfest. A witch who wants to get laid goes to Las Vegas. I'd accuse the film makers of stealing plot elements from Something Weird and Death Bed: The Bed That Eats, but aside from insulting those two better films, one would have to believe the people who made this movie actually put some thought into this for them to need to steal from other films. Nothing to see here but some gratuitous nudity, and there wasn't nearly enough of that to help.
16) A Candle in the Dark (2002) - College girl suspects her new Goth roommate may be a vampire. Poorly shot, with terrible sound and acting that's all over the place. On the plus side, it was really short so it didn't overstay its welcome.
17) Catholic Ghoulgirls (2005) - And another shot on video crapfest. This one had zombies and rednecks and a whole lot of '80s & '90s pop culture references.
18) Cutting Room! (2005) - More home movies. In this one a horror movie director can't get a distributor for her latest movie (not even Lloyd Kaufman, in an amusing cameo), so she decides to kill everyone who worked on the movie as a publicity stunt.
19) The Parasite (1997) - A couple of male college professors start doing research with a female mesmerist. The mesmerist uses her mystical mind control abilities to make one of the profs her sex slave. Yep, rather than use her powers on a billionaire or a CEO, or a famous actor, singer, athlete, or the like, she goes for some greasy schlub who isn't even tenured yet.
20) Up for Rent (2006) - A poor man's The House That Dripped Blood. While a real estate agent shows a couple an apartment, we learn the fates of a few previous tenants.

10/8/10

21) Soulkeeper (2001) - Brad Dourif hires a couple of knuckleheads to locate and steal an ancient relic that will allow him to bring dead people back to life. This one was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect going in, and it ended up being an entertaining, rather amusing horror-comedy.
22) Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969) - Count Dracula and his vampire bride like to keep a few girls chained up in the basement for midnight snacks. After their landlord dies, they face eviction from the secluded castle they rent, so they, along with their butler, John Carradine, decide to do away with the new owners.

10/9/10

23) Nightmare in Wax (1969) - A guy who was scarred in a fire uses real bodies in his wax museum. This thing sucks so bad it could leave you waxing nostalgic for the 2005 version of House of Wax.

10/10/10

24) Stanley (1972) - A guy uses his pet snakes to get revenge on the people who done him (or his snake friends) wrong.
25) Terror (1978) - After a witch is burned at the stake, her ghost/spirit/whatever kills a couple and curses their descendants.
26) Satan's Slave (1976) - A hot chick goes to spend some time with her uncle, Alfred (who, like Commissioner Gordon in The Devil's Hand, just happens to be the leader of a cult that's into human sacrifice). Kind of slow going, but there's plenty of bloody violence and full frontal nudity to keep you awake through the whole thing.
27) Prime Evil (1988) - A satanic cult hiding inside an old church in New York City performs a human sacrifice every thirteen years. The last one they did is about to reach its expiration date, so they're getting ready for a new one. This film takes place around Christmas if you're looking for something horrid to add to your Holiday Challenge viewing.
28) Brain Twisters (1990) - A doctor experiments on some college kids and turns them into killers. Well that sucked.

10/11/10

29) Insaniac (2001) - More shot on video shit. I think it was supposed to be about a girl talking to a psychiatrist to help her to remember something that happened to her in the past, but it was really just an hour and twenty-one minutes or so of some dumbass's home movies of some other dumbasses running their mouths and acting like idiots. Suddenly The... Bewitching is starting to look like great cinema.
30) Last House on Hell Street (2002) - Another craptacular video from the shitheads who made Insaniac. A woman is abducted and kinda-sorta tortured by a guy. Believe me, she experienced less pain than anyone who has had the misfortune to sit through this thing.
31) Phobias (2003) - Actually two short movies by the same director: When Shadows Lie Darkest (2002) and Blackout (2001). The first one is about a guy talking to someone about the dreams he's having about killing people he knows. The other one is about a woman who kills her husband. Oh, and there's also a masked killer wandering around her house for some reason. The first one was crap. The second was a little less crappy.
32) The Seekers (2003) - After a ponytailed fat guy (who looks a bit like Comic Book Guy) loses his job at the local comic shop (well I'll be, he really was Comic Book Guy) and catches his wife in bed with another Comic Book Guy clone, some goth chick gives him a videotape containing a couple of ineptly amusing stories which are supposed to inspire him to kill his wife. Entertainingly bad.
33) Revamped (2007) - A guy finds out his wife is cheating on him, figures he has nothing to live for and decides to become a vampire, only to find himself embroiled in a war between vampires, humans, and half-breeds.

10/12/10

34) Alice Sweet Alice (1976) - When a young girl is killed inside a church, the evidence points to her older, nutty sister.
35) Voodoo Moon (2006) - Cordelia Chase, Herbert West, J.J.'s dad, and E.T.'s mom battle monsters in the boonies.
36) Deadgirl (2008) - Two teens skip school to go drink beer in a nearby abandoned insane asylum where they stumble upon a naked living dead girl chained in the basement.

10/13/10

37) Monster Dog (1984) - Alice Cooper returns to his boyhood home and finds it overun by a pack of wild dogs and a werewolf.
38) Blood Massacre (1991) - A gang of armed robbers takes a family hostage and hides out in their isolated house in the country. Then the family decides to have the gang for dinner.
39) 13 (1986) - Police and a radio talk show host try to catch a serial killer who is killing people who have AIDS.
40) Hip Hop Locos (2001) - Two assholes endlessly run their mouths (saying the same shit over and over and over ad nauseam), steal some drugs, kill someone, and "rap" once or twice. Man did this ever suck. "Shot on video shitfest" wouldn't begin to describe this impossibly bad "movie."

10/14/10

41) War Wolves (2009) - John Saxon and Tim Thomerson are a couple of old retired soldiers turned werewolf hunters. Throw in Adrienne Barbeau as an eccentric recovering alcoholic, add some seriously stupid looking werewolf makeup, and you got yourself a SciFi Channel Original Movie.
42) Las Vegas Blood Bath (1989) - Greasy goofball comes home early and catches his wife screwing some guy, kills them, goes out and kills a couple more people, stops off at a baby shower, takes a break to watch some oil wrasslin' on TV, then kills the chicks (along with a few other people who just happen to drop by) at the baby shower. Mostly crap, but it had a few entertaining moments.

10/15/10

43) I Hate You (2004) - Video snoozefest about an old guy who wants to become famous like Jack the Ripper, so he kills some people (when he isn't endlessly droning on about becoming famous like Jack the Ripper by killing some people).
44) Slasher (1985) - College girls are being killed for body parts. IMDb says this was the first movie shot on video for the VHS market.
45) Bloodz vs. Wolvez (2006) - From the guy who shat out Zombiez (2005) (which I unfortunately watched last year) comes another mizzpelled monzter movie. The leader of a vampire gang and the leader of a werewolf gang want to call a truce but their gangs would rather keep fighting. Given how horrifically bad Zombiez was, I was expecting this to really suck, but it actually started out okay, had a decent story (complete with subplots), and the main actors weren't bad. And then about halfway through it all went to hell.
46) Vampiyaz (2004) - And another one from the same guy (actually the first in his mizzpelled monzter trilogy). Two guys crack a safe. Things go wrong, and one guy goes to prison and the other guy gets bitten by a vampire. After he's released from prison, the ex-con is employed by his now-vampire ex-partner to steal an amulet that will give the vampire immunity to sunlight and crosses. This was a surprisingly (intentionally) funny movie.
47) Drag Me To Hell (2009) - A freaky looking old broad can't pay her mortgage, so, facing eviction, she puts a curse on a loan officer at the local bank.
48) Fido (2006) - The adventures of a boy and his zombie.

10/16/10

49) Mexican Werewolf in Texas (2005) - Soporific tale of a small town in Texas terrorized by a chupacabra.
50) DarkWolf (2002) - Cop who works werewolf cases tries to protect a woman from a cartoony CGI werewolf that hopes to mate with her. A fair amount of nudity, but unfortunately this dog don't hunt.
51) The Bunker (2000) - Nazis explore the spooky abandoned tunnels beneath a bunker.

10/17/10

52) After Sundown (2005) - People relocating bodies in an old cemetery accidentally resurrect a couple of vampires. Those vampires, in need of minions, resurrect the recently dead as zombies. I've seen worse.
53) The Damned (2005) - After a guy accidentally kills one of the new vampires in the neighborhood, he and his two loser roommates join up with Willis and some other guy to kill the other vampires. Not the worst home movie I've seen this month.

10/18/10

54) The Thirst (2006) - A guy runs into his dead girlfriend at a club, then the next night she turns him into a vampire and introduces him to her vampire "family." Worth a look to see Adam Baldwin as a vampire.
55) Return to Sleepaway Camp (2008) - Campers and employees at Big Pussy's summer camp are getting themselves killed because they were being mean to a fat, loathsome, bullying douchebag who should've been the first to die.

10/19/10

56) Ghouls (2008) - A guy who calls himself the "last Druid" wants to stop some Romanian villagers from acquiring a new "vessel" for the "Ghoul Queen." At least if I'd watched it on the Sci Fi Channel the commercials might've been entertaining.
57) The Beast of Bray Road (2005) - A werewolf terrorizes a small town somewhere in Wisconsin. Not bad for an Asylum flick.
58) The Last House on the Left (2008) - Two girls are abducted, beaten, raped, killed. Not bad for a remake.
59) The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) - Family falls apart as they deal with a child's terminal illness and the haunted house they're renting.

10/20/10

60) Paranormal Activity (2007) - A guy and his girlfriend set up a video camera in their house hoping to record some paranormal activity. Almost as entertaining as actually watching a stranger's home movies.

10/21/10

61) Paranormal Entity (2009) - A guy, his mom, and his sister set up some video cameras in their house hoping to record a paranormal entity. Asylum Bizarro version of the last film I watched. Wasn't any worse than the real thing.
62) The Devil Within Her (Beyond the Door) (1974) - Pregnant woman is possessed. At first I had a hard time getting the Nanny and the Professor theme song out of my head, then I just had a hard time staying awake.
63) Saw V (2008) - While an FBI agent re-investigates some of the old Jigsaw murders, five new victims play a new series of games.

10/22/10

64) Survival of the Dead (2009) - People fight each other, and a few zombies, on an island.
65) Frozen Scream (1975) - Two scientists who are trying to find the secret to immortality send out some of their subjects to kill people. Amusingly bad.
66) Hollywood Horror House (1970) - Hippie serial killer jumps off a movie stars homes tour bus, walks into a has-been star's mansion, and gets a job as her nurse.
67) Zombie Bloodbath (1993) - Zombies attack people living in a neighborhood built on the site of an old nuclear plant. The only scary thing about this movie was the thought that that guy with the mullet walked into a Supercuts and actually asked for that haircut.
68) Zombie Bloodbath 2 (1995) - A couple of loudmouth dumbasses hold a few people hostage inside a deli while some zombies stumble around outside. Yeah, it sucked.
69) Zombie Bloodbath 3: Undead Armageddon (2000) - While exploring the abandoned military installation in the system of caves beneath their high school, some kids run into zombies from the future. Yeah, it sucked too.
70) The Alphabet Killer (2008) - A schizophrenic cop investigates a series of murders of young girls with alliterative names.

10/23/10

71) The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1969) - After witnessing an attempted murder, a writer becomes the target of a serial killer.

10/24/10

72) The Undying Monster (1942) - A Scotland Yard detective investigates a murder that may have been committed by a werewolf.
73) Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) - Bela Lugosi, hoping to prove evolution, injects people with ape blood.
74) The Black Cat (1934) - Lugosi and a newlywed couple spend some time in satanist architect Boris Karloff's swanky house.
75) The Raven (1935) - Mad surgeon Lugosi has the hots for a patient.
76) The House of Usher (2006) - Another take on the Poe tale. Unfortunately, it wasn't very good.
77) Grey Knight (1993) - During the Civil War, demons, or elder gods, or something, find their way back to the surface and possess some soldiers.
78) Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) - Divers searching for diamonds battle underwater zombies.

10/25/10

79) The Werewolf (1956) - Another werewolf. More villagers hunting him.
80) Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984) - A group of people investigating a house where 18 people were murdered 10 years earlier encounter Vincent Price and his cult.
81) Nature of the Beast (2007) - Girl finds out her fiancé is a werewolf.
82) Les Dents de la Nuit (Vampire Party) (2008) - A group of people get themselves invited to an annual party held by vampires.

10/26/10

83) Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (2006) - Snoop Dogg introduces three not very interesting stories. The animated wrap-around story was okay though.
84) Vampiros (2004) - After a one night stand, a guy wakes up with fangs and a thirst for blood.
85) Quarantine (2008) - Reporter following two firemen on a call gets more than she bargained for. Pretty good, though unnecessary, remake.

10/27/10

86) Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (2001) - Michael Knight sings his way through the well-known Robert Louis Stevenson story.
87) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - Singing serial killer barber provides ingredients for his neighbor's meat pies.

10/28/10

88) Ski Wolf (2008) - More crappy home movies. A guy gets bitten by a werewolf, then goes skiing. Yeah, it sucked.
89) Darkness (2002) - Another family moves into another haunted house.
90) Modern Vampires (1998) - A vampire returns to Hollywood looking for a rogue vampire.

10/29/10

91) Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010) - The kids get summer jobs at Daphne's uncle's country club on Lake Erie and go up against a witch and her man-sized frog monsters.
92) Bad Biology (2008) - A woman with an odd physical abnormality kills her lovers, then meets a man with an odd physical abnormality of his own.
93) From Hell It Came (1957) - Dead guy comes back to life as a walking tree.
94) Murder-Set-Pieces (2004) - German guy drives around Vegas, takes some pictures, lifts weights, kills several women.
95) Pulse (2006) - Internet "ghosts" cause a suicide epidemic. Veronica Mars investigates.

10/30/10

96) Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) -
97) The Man Who Laughs (1928) -
98) Pumpkinhead (1988) -
99) Dee Snider's Strangeland (1998) -

10/31/10

100) The House of the Devil (2008) -
101) Jacko Lantern (Jack-O) (1995) -
102) Jack O'Lantern (2004) -
103) Halloween Night (2006) -
104) Witchcraft (1964) -
105) Black Sheep (2006) -
106) Halloween II (2009) -
107) Devils of Darkness (1965) -

11/1/10 Overtime: Midnight to dawn

108) The Walking Dead:"Days Gone Bye" / Scared Shrekless (2010)
109) Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2007) -
110) Werewolf in a Women's Prison (2007) -
111) The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves are Here! (1971) -

THE END

First Time Viewings: 108

My halfhearted attempt at the checklist:
Spoiler:

Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
-X- 1930 - Murders in the Rue Morgue
-X- 1940 - The Undying Monster
-X- 1950 - From Hell It Came
-X- 1960 - Bloodlust!
-X- 1970 - Hausu
-X- 1980 - The Hearse
-X- 1990 - The Dead Hate the Living!
-X- 2000 - Tôkyô zonbi
-X- 2010 - Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster

Watch a film for each rating:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - (insert film title here)
--- G -
--- PG -
--- PG-13 -
--- R -
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
--- Unrated (post-MPAA) -

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format, (DVD), (take your pick).
-X- Second format, (TV), (Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster).
-X- Third format, (internet), (The Rats are Coming! The Werewolves are Here!).

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
-X- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo - War Wolves or Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
-X- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine - Land of the Minotaur or Blood of Dracula's Castle
-X- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman - Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (for all of two seconds)
-X- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David - The Alphabet Killer
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
-X- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - Modern Vampires
-X- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - Murder-Set-Pieces or Soulkeeper
-X- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon - Jack-O or Vampiyaz

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-X- First language, (Japanese), (Hausu).
-X- Second language, (French), (Les dents de la nuit)
-X- Third language, (Spanish), (Vampiros)

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - A Candle in the Dark
--- Frankenstein -
-X- Werewolf - Wild Country
--- Mummy -
-X- Ghost/haunting - Hausu
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Daughters of Satan
-X- Zombie - Tôkyô zonbi
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Terrified
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - The Creeping Terror
--- Documentary -
-X- Musical - Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical
-X- Spoof/comedy - Tôkyô zonbi
-X- Revenge - The Last House on the Left
--- Killer/evil doll -
-X- Killer/evil animal - Stanley
--- Killer/evil child -
-X- Giallo - The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
-X- J horror - Hausu
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
-X- film and its remake - Kairo & Pulse
-X- based on a novel - The Undying Monster
-X- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West - Bad Biology or The House of the Devil
-X- won an Academy Award -- any category - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Best Achievement in Art Direction
-X- silent film - The Man Who Laughs
--- Criterion version film -
--- with commentary -
-X- film and at least two of its sequels - Zombie Bloodbath 1-3
-X- anthology film - Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
-X- appears on video nasties list - Frozen Scream
--- hosted by Elvira -
-X- takes place on a holiday - Jack-O
--- takes place in space -
--- takes place on or under the sea -
-X- animated film - Resident Evil: Degeneration
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." -
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -

Last edited by Dimension X; 11-01-10 at 05:51 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:36 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

Ready to be scared to smithereens!!

2007 FILM COUNT: 60
2008 FILM COUNT: 123
2009 FILM COUNT: 108

2010 GOAL: 100
2010 FILM COUNT: 134
2010 TIME WATCHED: 205H 28M

* = First Viewing


OCTOBER 1 (6h 38m)

001. * The Devil's Wedding Night / 1983 / 99 mins / Online - Hulu
002. * The House That Dripped Blood / 1970 / 102 mins / DVD - Netflix
003. * From Beyond / 1986 / 85 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
004. * Dorian Gray / 2009 / 112 mins / DVD - Netflix

OCTOBER 2 (9h 48m)

005. * The Blob / 1988 / 95 mins / DVD - Netflix
006. * Triangle / 2009 / 98 mins / DVD - Netflix
007. * MST3K: Zombie Nightmare / 1994 / 89 mins / Neftlix Watch Instantly
008. * Daybreakers / 2009 / 98 mins/ BD - Own
009. * Let the Right One In / 2008 / 115 mins / DVD - Own
010. * Sisters / 1973 / 93 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 3 (12h 40m)

011A. * Supernatural: Season 4: "Monster Movie" / 2008 / 42 mins / DVD - Own
011B. * The Vampire Diaries: Season 2: "Memory Lane" / 2010 / 42 mins / CW HD
012. * Nightmare Castle / 1965 / 90 mins / DVD - Own
013. * The Cat and the Canary / 1927 / 84 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
014. Horror of Dracula / 1958 / 90 mins / TCM
015. Bloodrayne / 2006 / 98 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
016. Wild Card #1: The Execution of Mary Stuart / 1895; Le chaudron infernal / 1903; Frankenstein / 1910
017. * Dario Argento's The Card Player / (2004) / 102 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
018. * Them! / 1954 / 92 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
019. * Daughters of Satan / 1972 / 120 mins / TCM


OCTOBER 4 (3h 07m)

020. * Horror Hotel (aka The City of the Dead) / (1960) / 76 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
021. The Omen / 1976 / 111 mins / Netfilx Watch Instantly

OCTOBER 5 (6h 38m)

022. * Dying Breed / 2008 / 91 mins / DVD - Netflix
023. * Dead Snow / 2009 / 92 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
024. Damien: Omen II / 1978 / 107 mins / DVD - Netflix
025. Omen III: The Final Conflict / 1981 / 108 mins / DVD - Netflix



OCTOBER 6 (4h 55m)

026. * It's Alive / 1974 / 92 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
027. * Black Rainbow / 1989 / 95 mins / DVD - Netflix
028. Pandorum / 2009 / 108 mins / BD - Own


OCTOBER 7 (11h 39m)

029. * Mystery of the Wax Museum / 1933 / 77 mins / DVD - Own
030. House of Wax / 1953 / 88 mins / DVD - Own
031. * The Beast of Yucca Flats / 1961 / 54 mins / DVD - Own
032. * Vampyres / 1974 / 88 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
033. * Day of the Dead / 2008 / 87 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
034. * Whatever Happened to Baby Jane / 1962 / 135 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
035. * Octaman / 1971 / 79 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
036. Return of the Living Dead / 1985 / 91 mins / TV - CHLL


OCTOBER 8 (7h 51m)

037. * Sheitan / 2006 / 94 mins / DVD - Netflix
038. * Splinter / 2008 / 82 mins / DVD - Netflix
039. * Ginger Snaps / 2000 / 108 mins / DVD - Netflix
040. * Lake Mungo / 2008 / 87 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
041. * Session 9 / 2001 / 100 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 9 (13h 47m)

042a. * The Vampire Diaries: Season 2: "Kill or Be Killed" / 2010 / 42 mins / CW HD
042b. * Supernatural: Season 4: "Yellow Fever" / 2008 / 42 mins / DVD - Own
043. The Others / 2001 / 104 mins / DVD - Own
044. The Mummy / 1999 / 125 mins / BD - Own
045. The Mummy Returns / 2001 / 130 mins / BD - Own
046. * The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor / 2008 / 112 mins/ BD - Own
047. King Kong / 2005 / 188 mins / BD - Own
048. * The Last House on the Left / 1972 / 84 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly




OCTOBER 10 (9h 35m)

049. * Salvage / 2008 / 96 mins / DVD - Netflix
050. * City of the Living Dead / 1980 / 93 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
051. * Zombieland / 2009 / 88 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
052. * The Descent / 2006 / 99 mins / SYFY - HD
053. * Shadow Puppets / 2007 / 103 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
054. * Big Bad Wolf / 2006 / 96 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly



OCTOBER 11 (4h 55m)

055. * Jennifer's Body / 2009 / 102 mins / HBO - HD
056. * The House on Sorority Row / 1983 / 92 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
057. I Know What You Did Last Summer / 1997 / 101 mins / DVD - Own


OCTOBER 12 (1h 16m)

058. * Lady Death / 2004 / 76 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 13 (4h 04m)

059. * Night of the Creeps / 1986 / 90 mins / DVD Netflix
060. * Black Sunday / 1960 / 87 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
061. * Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / 1920 / 67 mins / DVD - Own


OCTOBER 14 (3h 04m)

062. * The Children / 2008 / 84 mins / DVD - Netflix
063. * Omen IV: Awakening / 1991 / 100 mins/ Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 15 (4h 27m)

064. * Return of the Living Dead 2 / 1988 / 89 mins / Netfix Watch Instantly
065. Swamp Thing / 1982 / 92 mins / Netfix Watch Instantly
066. * Killer Klowns from Outer Space / 1988 / 86 mins / Netfix Watch Instantly



OCTOBER 16 (10h 06m)

067. * Darling / 2007 / 133 mins / Netflix
068. * Fear No Evil / 1981 / 99 mins / DVD - Netflix
069. Night of the Living Dead / 1968 / 96 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
070. * Tourist Trap / 1979 / 90 mins / DVD - Netflix
071. * Alone in the Dark II / 2008 / 90 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
072. * Suspiria / 1977 / 98 mins / FMC HD



OCTOBER 17 (10h 48m)

073. * Hellbound: Hellraider II / 1988 / 100 min / EMYS HD
074. * At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul / 1963 / 81 mins / IFC HD
075. * King of the Zombies / 1941 / 67 mins / DVD - Own
076. The Nightmare Before Christmas / 1993 / 77 mins / BD - Own
077. * Queen of Blood / 1966 / 78 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
078. * White Zombie / 1932 / 69 mins / DVD - Own
079. * The Mad Monster / 1942 / 76 mins / DVD - Own
080. The Rocky Horror Picture Show / 1975 / 100 Mins / DVD - Own
081. Monsters, Inc. / 2001 / 93 mins / DVD - Own
082. * Lake Dead / 2007 / 90 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 18 (4h 27m)

083. * Smash Cut / 2009 / 85 mins / DVD - Netflix
084. * Murders in the Rue Morgue / 1971 / 98 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
085. Child's Play 2: Chucky's Back / 1990 / 84 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 19 (4h 43m)

086. * Bitten / 2008 / 88 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
087. * Terror Train / 1980 / 97 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
088. Black Christmas / 1974 / 98 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 20 (4h 57m)

089. Fright Night / 1985 / 106 mins / DVD - Own
090. * My Bloody Valentine / 1981 / 90 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
091. * The Crazies / 2010 / 101 mins / DVD - Netflix


OCTOBER 21 (4h 39m)

092. * The 7th Victim / 1943 / 71 mins / DVD - Netflix
093. * Demons / 1985 / 88 mins / DVD - Netflix
094. * Creepshow / 1982 / 120 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 22 (2h 42m)

095. * Attack of the Giant Leeches / 1959 / 62 mins / DVD - Own
096. * Anatomy / 2000 / 100 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly



OCTOBER 23 (6h 49m)

097. The Wolfman / 2010 / 103 mins / BD - Own
098. * Face of Marble / 1946 / 72 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
099. * Revenge of the Living Dead Girls / 1987 / 90 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
100. * The Terror / 1963 / 79 mins / DVD - Own
101. * Revolt of the Zombies / 1936 / 65 mins / DVD - Own


OCTOBER 24 (16h 16m)

102. * Toolbox Murders / 1978 / 94 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
103. * Frailty / 2001 / 100 mins / DVD - Own
104. Bram Stoker's Dracula / 1992 / 127 mins / BD - Own
105. * Flowers in the Attic / 1987 / 92 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
106. * The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film / 2006 / 88 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
107. * The Monster Squad / 1987 / 82 mins / DVD - Netflix
108. * Dark Night of the Scarecrow / 1981 / 96 mins / DVD - Netflix
109. * Orphan / 2009 / 125 mins / MMAX HD
110. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy / 1955 / 79 mins / DVD - Own
111. * The House of the Devil / 2009 / 93 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly

OCTOBER 25 (4h 53m)

112. Gojira / 1954 / 98 mins / BD - Own
113. * Dead of Night / 1977 / 76 mins / DVD - Netflix
114. * The Host (Gowemul) / 2006 / 119 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 26 (1h 50m)

115. * The Orphanage / 2007 / 110 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 27 (3h 10m)

116. *Legion / 2010 / 100 mins / BD - Own
117. * Paranormal Entity / 2009 / 90 mins/ DVD - Netflix


OCTOBER 28 (4h 30m)

118. * Rose Red: Part 1 / 2002 / 90 mins / DVD - Netflix
119. * Rose Red: Part 2 / 2002 / 90 mins / DVD - Netflix
120. * Rose Red: Part 3 / 2002 / 90 mins / DVD - Netflix


OCTOBER 29 (4h 02m)

121. * Headless Horseman / 2007 / 92 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
122. * Thankskilling / 2009 / 66 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
123. * The Tomb / 1986 / 84 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly


OCTOBER 30 (7h 56m)

124. The Omen: 666 / 2006 / 110 mins / BD - Own
125. * Paranormal Activity / 2007 / 85 mins / Netflix Watch Instanly
126. * The Ghoul / 1933 / 80 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
127. * Lost Souls / 2000 / 98 mins / DVD - Own
128. *After.Life / 2009 / 103 mins / DVD - Own



OCTOBER 31 (9h 16m)

129. The Fog / 1980 / 91 mins / DVD - Own
130. * Night of the Demons / 1988 / 90 mins / DVD - Netflix
131. * The Devil's Backbone / 2001 / 108 mins / Netflix Watch Instantly
132. * The Hollow / 2004 / 94 mins / DVD - Netflix
133. * Trick 'r Treat / 2008 / 82 mins / DVD - Netflix
134. Halloween / 1978 / 91 mins / DVD - Own









Checklist: - completed 10/24/10

Spoiler:


Watch one film from every decade of film history.
-X- 1890 - The Execution of Mary Stuart (1895) (online)
-X- 1900 - Le chaudron infernal (1903) (online)
-X- 1910 - Frankenstein (1910) (online)
-X- 1920 - The Cat and the Canary (1927)
-X- 1930 - White Zombie (1932)
-X- 1940 - King of the Zombies (1941)
-X- 1950 - Horror of Dracula (1958)
-X- 1960 - Nightmare Castle (1965)
-X- 1970 - Octaman (1971)
-X- 1980 - The Blob (1988)
-X- 1990 - The Mummy (1999)
-X- 2000 - Pandorum (2009)
-X- 2010 - The Crazies (2010)

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - The Cat and the Canary (1927)
-X- G - Monsters, Inc. (2001)
-X- PG - The House That Dripped Blood (1970)
-X- PG-13 - Killer Klowns from Outer Space
-X- R - Daybreakers (2009)
-X- NC-17 - Bloodrayne (2006)
-X- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) - Vampyres (1974)
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - Sheitan (2006)

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format, (DVD), Dorian Gray (2009)
-X- Second format, (BD), Daybreakers (2009)
-X- Third format, (Online - Hulu), The Devil's Wedding Night (1984)

Watch a film starring:
-X- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - The Mad Monster (1942)
-X- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo - Queen of Blood (1966)
-X- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins - At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1963)
-X- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine - Face of Marble (1946)
-X- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman - Big Bad Wolf (2006)
-X- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David - Alone in the Dark II (2008)
-X- Dick Miller -or- David Warner - The Omen
-X- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - Nightmare Castle (1965)
-X- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - Shadow Puppets
-X- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon - Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-X- First language, (Swedish), Let the Right One In (2008)
-X- Second language, (German), Dead Snow (2009)

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - Horror of Dracula (1958)
-X- Frankenstein - The Monster Squad (1987)
-X- Werewolf - The Wolfman (2010)
-X- Mummy - The Mummy Returns (2001)
-X- Ghost/haunting - The Others (2001)
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Daughters of Satan (1972)
-X- Zombie - Zombieland (2009)
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Lake Dead (2007)
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - The Blob (1988)
-X-Documentary - The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film
-X- Musical - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
-X- Spoof/comedy - Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
-X- Revenge - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
-X- Killer/evil doll - Child's Play 2: Chucky's Back (1980)
-x- Killer/evil animal - King Kong (2005)
-X- Killer/evil child - The Children (2008)
-X- Giallo - Dario Argento's The Card Player (2004)
-X- J horror - Darling (2007)
-X- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - Zombie Nightmare (1994)
-X- film and its remake - Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933); House of Wax (1953)
-X- based on a novel - Let the Right One In (2008)
-X- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West - The House of the Devil (2009)
-X- won an Academy Award -- any category - The Omen (1976)
-X- silent film - The Cat and the Canary (1927)
-X- Criterion version film - Sisters (1973)
-X- with commentary - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
-X- film and at least two of its sequels -The Omen I-III
-X- anthology film -The House That Dripped Blood
-X- appears on video nasties list - Toolbox Murders (1978)
-X- hosted by Elvira - The Devil's Wedding Night (1984)
-X- takes place on a holiday - Salvage (2009) - Christmas Eve
-X- takes place in space - Queen of Blood (1966)
-X- takes place on or under the sea -Triangle (2009)
-X- animated film - Lady Death (2004)
-X-called "Day of ..." - Day of the Dead (2008
-X- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Living Dead (1968)
-X- called "Return of ..." - Return of the Living Dead 2 (1988)
-X- called "Revenge of ..." - Revenge of the Living Dead Girls (1987)
-X- called "Attack of ..." - Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
-X- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - The Return of the Living Dead (1985)



Theme Night - Completed 31
Spoiler:


-X- 10/01: Bloody Tea & Crumpets - Hammer / Amicus / Ealing - The House That Dripped Blood
-X- 10/02: Outback Chillers & Kiwi Killers - Australian / New Zealand - Triangle (2009) (co-British/Austrailian; Daybreakers (2009) (Co-US/Australian)
-X- 10/03: Mother Nature Runs Amok! - Natural Horror Films - Them! (1954)
-X- 10/04: An Excellent Day for an Exorcism - Possession / Satanic / Demonic - Horror Hotel (1960); The Omen (1976)
-X- 10/05: Human. It's What's for Dinner - Cannibalism - Dying Breed (2008)
-X- 10/06: The Freaks Come Out at Night - Mutants - It's Alive (1974); Pandorum (2009)
-X- 10/07: Killer Grannies & Saggy Mammaries - Psycho-biddy (Hagsploitation) - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962)
-X- 10/08: Fava Beans & Chianti Mindfucks - Psychological Horror - Session 9 (2001)
-X- 10/09: A Dish Best Served with Bloody Mayhem - Rape & Revenge - The Last House on the Left (1972) (
-X- 10/10: They're Coming to Get You, Barbara! - Zombie Films - Zombieland (2009)
-X- 10/11: Welcome to Virginityville - Population: 0 - Teen Screams - Jennifer's Body (2009); I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
-X- 10/12: Get the Hell Off Jethro's Property! - Backwoods Horror - Sheitan (20060
-X- 10/13: Reading is Fundamentally Dead - Films Based on Horror Novels - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
-X- 10/14: Schedule a Play Date with Damien - Creepy Kids - The Children (2008)
-X- 10/14: Fermented for Your Approval - Cheesy '80s Horror - Return of the Living Dead 2 (1988); Swamp Thing (1982)
-X- 10/16: The Newly Expanded Asian Buffet of Terrors! - Korean / Thai / J-Horror / Indian / Chinese / Philippine / Indonesian - Darling (2007)
-X- 10/17: It Slices, Dices & Guts You Like a Fish - Slashers / Giallos / Serial Killers - Lake Dead (2007)
-X-10/18: Nevermore Frightening - Cinema Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe - Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)
-X-10/19: Ooh! Scary, eh? - Canadian Horror Films - Bitten (2008), Terror Train (1980)
-X- 10/20: A Reel Cinematic Suckfest! - Vampire Films - Fright Night (1985)
-X- 10/21: Once, Twice, Three Times the Lacerations - Horror Anthologies - Creepshow (1982)
-X- 10/22: Passport to Sheer Terror! - BFI's 100 European Horror Films - Anatomy (2000)
-X- 10/23: Full Moon Madness! - Werewolves - The Wolfman (2010)
-X- 10/24: Condemned to VHS Hell! - Video Nasties - Toolbox Murders (1978)
-X- 10/25: Giant Monkeys & Radioactive Lizards - Creature Features - Gojira (1954); The Host (2006)
-X- 10/26: ¡Mierda Espantosa! - Spanish Horror Films - The Orphanage (2007)
-X- 10/27: Supercharged Zombie Go Boom! - Action Horror - Legion (2010
-X- 10/28: They're Still Here - Supernatural / Haunted House / Ghost - Rose Red Parts 1-3
-X- 10/29: It's Pronounced "Fronkensteen" - Comedy Horror Films - Thankskilling
-X- 10/30: Death by Caffeine on Devil's Night - Mass Marathon of the Damned - Te Omen: 666 (2006); Paranormal Activity (2007)
-X- 10/31: I'm Crazy Blu-ray Face! Give Me Some Candy! - Halloween Related - Trick 'r Treat (2008); Halloween (1978)




31 Films Subset - Completed 30
Spoiler:


-X- From Beyond (1986) - watched 10/1
-X- Sisters (1973) - watched 10/2
-X- The Cat and the Canary (1927) - watched 10/3
-X- Horror Hotel (1960) - watched 10/4
-X- Dead Snow (2009) - watched 10/5
-X- It's Alive (1974) - watched 10/6
-X- Octaman (1971) - watched 10/7
-X- Salvage (2009) - watched 10/10
-X- Black Rainbow (1989) - watched 10/6
-X- City of the Living Dead (1980) watched 10/10
-X- The Blob (1988) - watched 10/2
-X- Sheitan (2006) - watched 10/8
-X- Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) - watched 10/17
-X- The Children (2008) - watched 10/14
-X- Night of the Creeps (1986) - watched 10/13
-X- Fear No Evil (1981) - watched 10/16
-X- My Bloody Valentine (1981) - watched 10/20
-X- Tourist Trap (1979) - watched 10/16
-X- Smash Cut (2009) - watched 10/18
-X- Fright Night (1985) - watched 10/20
-X- The Seventh Victim (1943) - watched 10/21
-X- Demons (1985) - watched 10/21
-X- Ginger Snaps (2000) - watched 10/8
-X- Flowers in the Attic (1987) - watched 10/24
-X- Gojira (1954) - watched 10/25
-X- The Devil's Backbone (2001) - watched 10/31
-X- Splinter (2008) - watched 10/8
-X- Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) - watched 10/24
-X- The Monster Squad (1987) - watched 10/24
--- Theatrical Showing - Anything
-X- Night of the Demons (1988) - watched 10/31


Last edited by shellebelle; 11-05-10 at 09:35 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:41 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

Previous Horror Challenges
2007 - 312
2008 - 52
2009 - 118
2010 - goal of 135

100% Unwatched


Oct 1
1. The Cat and the Canary
2. [REC]

Oct 2
3. The Devil and Daniel Webster
4. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
5. A Tale of Two Sisters
6. High Tension

Oct 3
7. Dead of Night
8. I Married a Monster from Outer Space
9. The Penalty
10. Between Two Worlds
11. Nosferatu the Vampyre
12. The Others

Oct 4
13. I Was a Teenage Werewolf
14. Pretty Poison
15. A Warning to the Curious

Oct 5

Oct 6
16. What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
17. The Virgin Spring
18. The Spiral Staircase

Oct 7
19. Family Guy: And Then There Were Fewer / Cutting Moments / Making 'The Shining'
20. Sisters
21. All the Colors of the Dark
22. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


Oct 8
23. Eyes Without a Face
24. The Abominable Snowman
25. The Hands of Orlac
26. The Black Pit of Dr. M

Oct 9
27. The Most Dangerous Game
28. Night of the Eagle
29. Dead End
30. Dressed to Kill
31. Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde

Oct 10
32. The Phantom Carriage
33. Paperhouse
34. Premature Burial
35. The Old Dark House
36. Mark of the Vampire

Oct 11
37. Don't Look Now
38. The Queen of Spades
39. Venus in Furs
40. A Bell from Hell

Oct 12
41. Picnic at Hanging Rock
42. And Soon the Darkness

Oct 13
43. Castle of Blood
44. Vampire Circus
45. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
46. The Hound of the Baskervilles

Oct 14
47. The Vampire Lovers
48. The Strangers


Oct 15
49. The Witch's Mirror
50. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
51. The Kiss of the Vampire
52. Mother of Tears
53. The Skull
54. The Haunted Palace
55. 28 Days Later...

Oct 16
56. Lizard in a Woman's Skin
57. Werckmeister Harmonies
58. The Man Who Laughs
59. The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
60. The Tomb of Ligeia
61. The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oct 17
62. Drag Me to Hell
63. House with the Windows That Laugh
64. Seconds
65. Hour of the Wolf
66. The Cremator
67. Fist in His Pocket
68. The House That Screamed

Oct 18
69. 28 Weeks Later
70. The Devils
71. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
72. Day of Wrath

Oct 19
73. Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Grey
74. Countess Dracula

Oct 20
75. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
76. Three... Extremes
77. Shutter
78. Twins of Evil
79. The Orphanage
80. The Lodger

Oct 21
81. Targets
82. In the Mouth of Madness


Oct 22
83. Angel Heart
84. Sisters of Satan
85. The Host
86. The Mummy's Hand
87. The Mummy's Curse
88. The Ring
89. The Fourth Man

Oct 23
90. Maléfique
91. The Man and the Monster
92. Blind Beast
93. The Uninvited
94. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog

Oct 24
95. Rabid Dogs
96. Viy
97. Black Cat from the Grove
98. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
99. Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key
100. Spirits of the Dead
101. The Curse of the Crying Woman
102. Dust Devil
103. The Black Room

Oct 25
104. The Grapes of Death
105. El vampiro
106. Seance on a Wet Afternoon
107. Slither

Oct 26
108. Sherlock Holmes and The Scarlet Claw
109. The Flesh Eaters

Oct 27
110. The Cat O' Nine Tails
111. Inside

Oct 28
112. Deliverance


Oct 29
113. The Whip and the Body
114. Magic
115. 30 Days of Night

Oct 30
116. The Bad Seed
117. Asylum
118. Strait-Jacket
119. Pulse
120. Jungle Holocaust

Oct 31
121. The Phantom of the Opera
122. Svengali
123. Bug
123.5 The Office: Costume Contest / Outsourced: Bollyween


Checklist 48/76
Spoiler:

Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
-X- 1920 - The Cat and the Canary
-X- 1930 - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
-X- 1940 - The Devil and Daniel Webster
-X- 1950 - I Married a Monster from Outer Space
-X- 1960 - Pretty Poison
-X- 1970 - Nosferatu the Vampyre
-X- 1980 - Dressed to Kill
-X- 1990 - Dust Devil
-X- 2000 - [REC]
--- 2010 -

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - The Cat and the Canary
--- G -
-X- PG - Nosferatu the Vampyre
-X- PG-13 - The Others
-X- R - [REC]
-X- NC-17 - High Tension
-X- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) - Dressed to Kill
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - Drag Me To Hell

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format, Online, The Cat and the Canary
-X- Second format, DVD, The Devil and Daniel Webster
-X- Third format, TV, A Warning to the Curious

Watch a film starring:
-X- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - The Scarlet Claw
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
-X- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - Castle of Blood
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-X- First language, Spanish, [REC]
-X- Second language, German,The Testament of Dr. Mabuse

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - Nosferatu the Vampyre
--- Frankenstein -
-X- Werewolf - I Was a Teenage Werewolf
-X- Mummy - The Mummy's Hand
-X- Ghost/haunting - A Tale of Two Sisters
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - The Devil and Daniel Webster
-X- Zombie - [REC]
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - High Tension
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - I Married a Monster from Outer Space
-X- Documentary - Making 'The Shining'
-X- Musical - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
-X- Spoof/comedy - The Cat and the Canary
-X- Revenge - What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
-X- Killer/evil doll - Dead of Night
-X- Killer/evil animal - The Hound of the Baskervilles
-X- Killer/evil child - [REC]
-X- Giallo - All the Colors of the Dark
-X- J horror - Black Cat from the Grove
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
-X- film and its remake - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
-X- based on a novel - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
-X- won an Academy Award -- Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture - The Devil and Daniel Webster
-X- silent film -The Cat and the Canary
-X- Criterion version film - The Devil and Daniel Webster
--- with commentary -
--- film and at least two of its sequels -
-X- anthology film - Dead of Night
--- appears on video nasties list -
-X- hosted by Elvira - The House That Screamed
--- takes place on a holiday -
--- takes place in space -
--- takes place on or under the sea -
--- animated film -
-X- called "Day of ..." - Day of Wrath
-X- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Eagle
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -

Last edited by The Man with the Golden Doujinshi; 11-01-10 at 10:15 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 07:42 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread



OCTOBER 1ST
1. House Of 1000 Corpses (2002) BD
2. The Devil's Rejects (2005) BD
3. House Of The Devil (2009) BD

OCTOBER 2ND
4. Frozen (2010) BD
5. Drag Me To Hell (2009) BD
6. The Unborn (2009) BD

OCTOBER 3RD
7. Midnight Meat Train (2008) BD
8. 2001 Maniacs (2005) BD

OCTOBER 4TH
9. One Missed Call (2008) BD
10. Shutter (2008) BD
11. High Tension (2003) BD

OCTOBER 5TH
12. A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010) BD
13. The Human Centipede: First Sequence (2009) BD

OCTOBER 6TH
14. Grindhouse: Planet Terror (2007) BD
15. Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007) BD

OCTOBER 7TH
16. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) BD
17. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) BD
18. Prom Night (2008) BD

OCTOBER 8TH
19. The Amityville Horror (2005) BD
20. The Omen (2006) BD

OCTOBER 9TH
21. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) BD
22. The Blair Witch Project (1999) BD
23. The Exorcist (1973) BD
24. Return Of The Living Dead (1985) BD

OCTOBER 10TH
25. Just Before Dawn (1981)

OCTOBER 11TH
26. Madman (1982)

OCTOBER 12TH
27. Hatchet (2006) BD

OCTOBER 13TH
28. The Evil Dead (1981) BD

OCTOBER 14TH
29. The Funhouse (1981)

OCTOBER 15TH
30. The Haunting In Connecticut (2009) BD

OCTOBER 16TH
31. Zombieland (2009) BD
32. 30 Days Of Night (2007) BD

OCTOBER 17TH
33. Stephen King's Rose Red: Episode 1 (2002)
34. Stephen King's Rose Red: Episode 2 (2002)
35. Stephen King's Rose Red: Episode 3 (2002)


OCTOBER 18TH
36. The House On Haunted Hill (1959)
37. The House On Haunted Hill (1999)
38. Return To House On Haunted Hill (2007)


OCTOBER 19TH
39. Night Of The Demons (2009) BD

OCTOBER 20TH
40. Club Dread (2004)
41. Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

OCTOBER 21ST
42. Psycho (1960) BD
43. Night Of The Creeps (1986) BD

OCTOBER 22ND
44. Sorority Row (2009) BD
45. Jennifer's Body (2009) BD

OCTOBER 23RD
46. Frankenstein (1931)
47. The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
48. Son Of Frankenstein (1939)
49. The Ghost Of Frankenstein (1942)
50. House Of Frankenstein (1944)
51. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) BD

OCTOBER 24TH
52. Dracula (1931)
53. Dracula (1931) Spanish Version
54. Dracula's Daughter (1936)
55. Son of Dracula (1943)
56. House of Dracula (1945)
57. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) BD

OCTOBER 25TH
58. An American Werewolf In London (1981) BD
59. Wolfen (1981)
60. Cursed (2005)

OCTOBER 26TH
61. Alien (1979) BD
62. Aliens (1986) BD
63. Alien³ (1992) BD

OCTOBER 27TH
64. Alien: Resurrection (1997) BD
65. The Hidden (1987)
66. Critters (1986)

OCTOBER 28TH
67. Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde (1920)
68. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
69. Nosferatu (1922)
70. The Little Shop Of Horrors (1960)

OCTOBER 29TH
71. I Spit On Your Grave (1978)
72. Bats (1999)
73. Troll (1986)
74. Troll 2 (1990)
75. House (1986)
76. House II: The Second Story (1987)
77. The Fog (2005)

OCTOBER 30TH
78. Vamp (1986)
79. The Prophecy (1995)
80. Lord of Illusions (1995)
81. In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
82. Vampires (1998)
83. Bordello of Blood (1996)
84. Fright Night (1985)
85. Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
86. Re-Animator (1985)
87. The Hitcher (2007)
88. Paranormal Activity (2007) BD

HALLOWEEN - OCTOBER 31ST
89. Black Christmas (1974) BD
90. Friday The 13th (2009) BD
91. Halloween (1978) BD
92. Halloween II (1981)
93. Halloween H20 (1998)
94. Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
95. Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers (1988)
96. Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers (1989)
97. Halloween (2007) BD
98. Halloween II (2009) BD

Last edited by advdfreak; 10-31-10 at 08:25 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:01 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread


Personal Challenge History and Goals and Observations
Spoiler:

2005 Challenge - blissfully unaware
2006 Challenge - total = 3
2007 Challenge - total = 162
2008 Challenge - total = 139
2009 Challenge - total = 155
2010 Challenge - total = 282
Goals
  1. Watch at least 62 new-to-me films. - Success!
  2. Watch at least 31 of my unwatched films on DVD. - Success!
  3. Watch each of the 31 Subset Films and participate in each discussion thread. - Success!
  4. Watch at least one film of each daily theme on that day. - Success!
  5. Watch at least 3 seasons of Dexter. - One third success!
Observations
Bought and watched my first ever LaserDisc for the Challenge.

Weekly item count by format
Spoiler:

B - 02 + 04 + 04 + 02 + 05 = 017
O - 01 + 07 + 01 + 07 + 08 = 024
D - 34 + 55 + 37 + 40 + 35 = 201
I - 04 + 00 + 04 + 01 + 00 = 009
N - 12 + 11 + 03 + 02 + 01 = 029
T - 00 + 00 + 02 + 42 + 02 = 046
C - 00 + 04 + 01 + 00 + 04 = 009
H - 00 + 00 + 00 + 02 + 00 = 002
V - 00 + 00 + 00 + 00 + 02 = 002
L - 00 + 00 + 00 + 01 + 00 = 001
total 53 + 81 + 52 + 97 + 57 = 340


Week 1 - weekly count = 52
Spoiler:
Friday, October 1st - After taking a month off from DVDs and DVDTalk (pretty much), the allure of this annual monster-fest has me back in. I napped a bit during the day Thursday to allow me to skip sleep and stay up for a midnight cross-Challenge Criterion horror double feature. Have a laptop now, so watching movies at work should be a little bit easier this year. Daily count = 7

The Blob (1958) - D - Love it when Criterion mixes in quirky pieces of film history like this in with all their "hoity-toity" stuff.
Carnival of Souls (1962) - I - Loving this film more and more each time I see it.
TV Entry #1
Dexter, S1E1, Dexter (2006) - N - I watched season 1 and part of season 2 a couple years ago, want to try to catch up with the current DVD releases before it all gets spoilered for me. One of the greatest first episodes of a TV series imho.
Dexter, S1E2, Crocodile (2006) - N - And it stays strong.
From Beyond (1986) - N - * - 31 Films Subset - Decent, but just made me appreciate Re-Animator even more. This film feels like leftovers from that production.
The Blob (1958) - D - Again with commentary from the producer and a film historian.
The Blob (1958) - D - Again with commentary from the director and an actor.
Paranoiac (1963) - D - * - Theme Night - Much better than I expected. Kept me intrigued throughout, some nice creepy moments, and fairly decent acting overall.

Saturday, October 2nd - Can already tell that my OCD is taking hold. Was going to skip the checklist, daily film subset, and themes this year, but I think I'm all in. Daily count = 9

Frankenstein (1931) - D - Such a classic.
Frankenstein (1931) - D - Again with film historian commentary.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - D - The best sequel ever?
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - D - Again with film historian commentary.
Son of Frankenstein (1939) - D - Decent continuation of the mythos.
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) - D - Decent continuation of the mythos.
Patrick (1978) - - N - * - Theme Night - Very similar to one of my favorite little known horror films, The Medusa Touch with Richard Burton and Lee Remick, coincidentally (?) also released in 1978.
Le pacte des loups (2001) - D - This is one of my ten favorite films.
Sisters (1973) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Love DePalma's style.

Sunday, October 3rd - Worked 18 hours yesterday, slept maybe 4 hours, and back to work. Today is going to be a long one, hopefully some horror will wake me up. Daily count = 5

House of Frankenstein (1944) - D - Dracula sure didn't last long in this one.
Carnival of Souls (1962) - D - The extended director's cut of the film.
Carnival of Souls (1962) - D - Again with commentary from from the screenwriter and the director.
Long Weekend (2008) - I - * - Theme Night - Aka Nature's Grave.
The Cat and the Canary (1927) - N - * - 31 Films Subset - Some genuinely creepy moments, this could become one of my favorite silent films. Watched this on the 1st, but putting it here due to OCD.

Monday, October 4th - A day off work, plan to sleep much of it, but will start one of my 50 film packs today. Daily count = 8

Horror Hotel (1960) - O - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Didn't expect much from this, but it delivered.
Man in the Attic (1953) - D - * - Aunt Bea!
The Demon (1979) - D - * - A little confusing, almost like two different films spliced together.
Hands of a Stranger (1962) - D - * - More talking than a gaggle of teenage girls.
Gothic (1986) - D - * - Perhaps the strangest film I've ever seen, and I think I really liked it.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009) - D - * - Better than I expected. I see that the heroine of this may be the lead in the Alien prequels. I think I like that.
The Unborn (2009) - B - * - Theme Night - Creepy.
Plague Town (2008) - D - * - Not entirely worthless.

Tuesday, October 5th - Enjoyed today's theme, although finding titles was difficult. Netflix doesn't stream many cannibal titles, and my DVD collection is lacking there. Would have re-watched Cannibal Holocaust but didn't want to be that disturbed so recently after seeing it for the first time. Daily count = 6

Dead Snow (2009) - N- * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Maybe it will grow on me, but half-way through I'm glad I decided to stream it before opening my newly purchased BD. OK, it's growing on me. Fully embracing it's campiness now, but delivering nice gore too.
Satan's Cannibal Holocaust (2007) - I - * - Theme Night - Probably what you'd expect.
It Waits (2005) - N - * - Not bad for an independent creature feature.
Boy Eats Girl (2005) - I - * - Theme Night - A poor man's Shaun of the Dead, very poor man.
Wrong Turn (2003) - B - * - Much better than I expected.
The Ghost (2004) - N - * - Caught this Korean flick just before it expires from Netflix streaming. Aka Dead Friend.

Wednesday, October 6th - Loving everyone's lists, wishing I was more creative and less lazy. Daily count = 10

Bloodshed (2005) - N - * - Not bad for a no-budget little flick.
The Devil's Hand (1962) - D - Nice premise, but nothing outstanding here.
I Bury the Living (1958) - D - * - Nice premise, but nothing outstanding here.
Drive In Massacre (1977) - D - * - Nice premise, but nothing outstanding here.
It's Alive (2008) - N - * - Theme Night - I'm ok with nipples in my films, but not bloody ones.
A Bucket of Blood (1959) - D - * - Great premise, but better execution this time. Dick Miller is great as the lead. Hate the ending.
Horrors of Spider Island (1960) - D - Aka Body in the Web. One of IMDB's bottom 100, and deservedly so. But lots of models in bikinis at least, complete with cat fights and obscured skinny dipping.
The Legend of Bigfoot (1976) - D - Pretty sure I saw this in theaters, either this or one or more of the similar titles during the 70s Bigfoot craze.
It's Alive (1974) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Seems like I've been watching this film a lot lately, three different Challenges in the last year I think. Still waiting for a good deal on the sequels, which I've never seen.
It's Alive (1974) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Again with very good writer/director Larry Cohen commentary.

Thursday, October 7th - Looking forward to a weekend off, one more day of work to DVD through. Daily count = 7

The Game (1984) - D - * - Aka The Cold. Three eccentric millionaires invite nine bad actors to spend the week in a mansion confronting their fears, survivors winning $1,000,000. If the budget was this much they overpaid by at least $900,000.
The Demons of Ludlow (1984) - D - * - The best killer piano movie I've ever seen.
Cathy's Curse (1977) - D - * - Theme Night - Awesome review here sums it up pretty well.
Octaman (1971) - N - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Stinker of the Challenge so far.
Night Watcher (2008) - N - * - Theme Night - Meh.
The Alpha Incident (1978) - D - The best train depot movie of 1978.
What's the Matter with Helen? (1971) - D - * - Theme Night - Wonderful film. Think I saw it on television as a kid, but back then I didn't really pay attention to the dialogue, just waited for scary or monster bits.
Week 2 - weekly total = 73
Spoiler:

Friday, October 8th - Already wishing that October had 90 or more days, as so many piles of horror titles are calling my name. Daily count = 12

Salvage (2006) - B - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Bought this because it was cheap and Horror, but didn't expect much. Very pleasantly surprised to find a great little film.
Salvage (2006) - B - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Again with filmmakers' commentary.
The Mansion of Madness (1973) - D - * - Aka Dr. Tarr's Torture Dungeon.
The Bloody Brood (1959) - D - Nice to see a young Peter Falk, a favorite actor of mine.
Wildcard #1, 1890s films - The Sign of the Cross (1899) - The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895) - O - Some may get tired of watching these same shorts each year just for the checklist, but I don't.
Wildcard #2, 1900s films - The Infernal Boiling Pot (1903) - The Monster (1903) - O - I love reflecting on the history of film and how much and little has changed since these beginnings.
Wildcard #3, 1910s films - Frankenstein (1910) - Le vitrail diabolique (1910) - O - Each year I hope we all turn up different and perhaps even older films.
The House of the Dead (1978) - D - * - This is in one of my 50 film horror packs, where I usually don't expect much. I certainly wasn't expecting an anthology film, and a darn good one at that. Official title is Alien Zone, which makes no sense whatsoever. The framing device is a mortician telling the stories, so this alternate title is perfect, except for it's similarity to the Uwe Boll film.
Slashed Dreams (1975) - D - Only really worthwhile for the early Robert Englund performance, as a good guy even. Darn! Just noticed that this would have fit tomorrow's theme, I need to plan a bit better.
Jacob's Ladder (1990) - D - Theme Night - Loved the film until the ending the first time I saw it, but now that I've seen it a couple more times, I love that as well. Great cast, although many of the parts are very small. Elizabeth Pena is gorgeous here.
Jacob's Ladder (1990) - D - Theme Night - Again with commentary from director Adrian Lyne.
Big Bad Wolf (2006) - N - * - Slowly working my way through the checklist, watched this one for Clint Howard.

Saturday, October 9th - 18 hours of film watching two days in a row? Yeah, that's healthy Trevor. Daily count = 12

Black Rainbow (1989) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Really enjoyed this one. Story kept me intrigued somehow, despite the fact that not much really happens I guess. Rosanna Arquette is absolutely beautiful here, funny how her sister would later play the role of a medium.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - D - Getting my Quigley fix. Another film that I'm liking more and more over time.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - D - Again with creator commentary.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - D - Again with a pretty fun cast, crew, and zombie commentary.
Salvage (2009) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Found the correct subset film. Decent, but not as good as the Salvage (2006) I watched yesterday. But it does get a bonus point for the monster being played by a Trevor.
Mother's Day (1980) - N - * - Theme Night - Not sure if I've ever really loved a Troma film. These one is pretty crappy.
From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) - D - Like both halves, but prefer the first.
Voodoo Man (1944) - D - * - Multiple checklist categories here.
Voodoo Man (1944) - D - * - Again with rifftrax.
Meadowoods (2010) - N - * - Wasn't expecting much, netflix user ratings were quite low. Very disturbing little low budget mockumentary-style film about three kids who decide to commit murder. Fairly well done, and sticking with me, not sure if I'd recommend it or watch it again though. I just picked it to get a 2010 film out of the way for the checklist.
Day of the Woman (1978) - D - * - Theme Night - With Joe Bob Briggs commentary.
Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1974) - D - * - Theme Night - Interesting influence on Tarantino and the Wachowski brothers.

Sunday, October 10th - Shall we go for three? Daily count = 12

City of the Living Dead (1980) - N - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - This film was my first Fulci film, and while I doubt he'll become a favorite, I like it enough to want to see more of his films.
Tales from the Grave (2006) - N - * - Theme Night - This really isn't a movie, just edited versions of three lower budget films condensed into one "anthology". One good thing that I can say about this one is that it saves you times and lets you sample the three real films quickly: The Dead Hate the Living!, Hell Asylum, and Dead & Rotting. Not horrible, but probably nothing I'd watch again.
The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls (1987) - N - Theme Night - Only watched this again because someone had it on their checklist for NC-17, but I don't think it qualifies. A couple of very disturbing images, but a fairly mediocre film overall.
Night of the Living Dead (1990) - D - Theme Night - Searching for a Tony Todd title, and always forget that he is a star in this one, I just always picture him as older.
I Walked With a Zombie (1943) - D - * - Theme Night - Val Lewton films are always competently done and at least average in quality.
Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) - D - * - Theme Night - I think this is the first time I've seen zombies in the water.
The Oasis of the Living Dead (1981) - D - * - Theme Night - Watched to satisfy my "War" item on the checklist, but really, who can resist Nazi Zombies?
The Beyond (1981) - D - * - Theme Night - I think I'm going to like this Fulci guy.
Pontypool (2008) - B - * - Theme Night - Very original and well done film.
Zombie Strippers! (2008) - B - * - Theme Night - Better than I expected. Slow start, have to be in the mood for campy to watch it again.
The Plague of Zombies (1966) - C - * - Theme Night - Nice little Hammer film from AMC's marathon.
Mulva: Zombie Ass Kicker! (2001) - N - * - Theme Night - I had watched a Chris Seaver film for a previous Challenge, and remarked how it was completely inane and the worst thing I had ever watched. One of you, I forget who and don't want to know, told me that I was wrong. I figured maybe I was missing the humor somehow, and considered giving Seaver another chance someday. Had a bit of time before my drop-dead-must-sleep time last night, and found this while searching for a short zombie film. Wow. Words can probably not describe how horrible this film is. I get that it's trying to be funny, and even bad funny, but it just doesn't work for me at all. The jokes are cringe-worthy, the acting non-existant, the video quality poor, the story seemed to have been written by a learning disabled 6 year old. The only positives I found were that it was thankfully quite short at 59 minutes, it counted for the theme night and the Challenge, and the audio was so poor that much of it was hard to hear.

Monday, October 11th - Back to work today, so no temptation of an 18 hour marathon. Surprised that I haven't cursed at co-workers or tried to shoot them in the head today, given how used to that I became this past weekend. Daily count = 7

Black Christmas (2006) - D - Theme Night - Gorier than I remembered.
War of the Robots (1978) - D - Churning my way through the crap of the Chilling Classics 50 pack.
Isle of the Snake People (1971) - D - Sad that this was one of Karloff's last films.
The Blob (1988) - D - 31 Films Subset - I like this more every time I watch it. Fun story and nice special effects.
Sisters of Death (1977) - D - * - Decent low budget fare with a nice twist or two.
Hannah, Queen of the Vampires (1973) - D - * - Prefer the alternate title, Crypt of the Living Dead, but not a great film.
Track of the Moon Beast (1976) - D - IMCB's 19th worse rated film, and I agree.

Tuesday, October 12th - My DVR is getting full, so today will be spent partly clearing that out. Those Hammer films will be a nice "family-oriented" counterbalance to the theme and subset choice of the day. Daily count = 8

The Ghost (1963) - D - * - Barbara Steele is always worth watching.
The Gorgon (1964) - C - * - Clearing my DVR to make room for next Friday's Hammer night.
The Devil's Bride (1968) - C - * - I think I like this more than Rosemary's Baby, although it is a bit cheesier.
The Reptile (1966) - C - I think I've seen this one before, not super memorable.
Sheitan (2006) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Worth watching to see Vincent Cassel's performance.
Frontier(s) (2007) - D - * - Theme Night - Finally watched the film that plagued DVDTalk back when ads were introduced to the site. Better than I expected. Odd that I randomly picked French films back to back.
Friday the 13th (1980) - D - Theme Night - May have to dig out the unrated cut this month too.
Friday the 13th Part 2 - D - Theme Night - Not bad for a sequel.

Wednesday, October 13th - May finally watch my Jason boxset today. If it wasn't for the theme and subset commitments, I'd consider marathoning through all ~12 Jason movies today. Daily count = 11

Swamp Women (1955) - D - Mannix! MST3K version.
Hellraiser (1987) - D - * - Theme Night - Better than I expected and quite creepy. Good gore effects, but horrible special effects.
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - The bad digital effects are very distracting. Otherwise I enjoyed it.
Friday the 13th Part III (1982) - D - Love all the fake jump scares, and all the obvious places where they had 3D.
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) - D - Getting tired of all these franchise recaps at the beginnings of each film. Nice to see early Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover.
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966) - D - * - More adequate than I expected. I need to find the DVD with the Joe Bob Briggs commentary.
Night of the Lepus (1972) - D - * - Theme Night - Been reading about this for years, figured I should finally watch it. Wow. What were they thinking? Would be a halfway decent film if I could get by the fact that the monsters were rabbits.
TV Entry #2
Dexter, S1E3, Popping Cherry (2006) - N - Theme Night - Have I mentioned how great this series is?
Dexter, S1E4, Let's Give the Boy a Hand (2006) - N - Theme Night - It's rare to find a series where I enjoy all the various subplots.
TV Entry #3
Dexter, S1E5, Love American Style (2006) - N - Theme Night - Loving all the flashbacks too.
Dexter, S1E6, Return to Sender (2006) - D - Theme Night - Tick tock.
TV Entry #4
Dexter, S1E7, Circle of Friends (2006) - D - Theme Night - Has Michael C. Hall won an Emmy yet? If not he should.
Dexter, S1E8, Shrink Wrap (2006) - D - Theme Night - Seems like they could have kept Rudy's reveal in the dark a bit longer.
TV Entry #5
Dexter, S1E9, Father Knows Best (2006) - D - Theme Night - The scenes with the thank you card were done well, showing some actual emotion from Dexter.
Dexter, S1E10, Seeing Red (2006) - D -Theme Night - Too close to finishing the season to stop now.
Thursday, October 14th - Daily count = 11

TV Entry #6
Dexter, S1E11, Truth Be Told (2006) - D - I almost feel sorry for Paul.
Dexter, S1E12, Born Free (2006) - D - Great season, but sort of wish Rudy had lived a bit longer.
The Children (2008) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Creepy, disturbing, and fantastic film.
Orphan (2009) - D - Theme Night - * - Better than I expected.
Them (2006) - N - * - Theme Night - I seem to be watching a lot of French films this month.
Ringu (1998) - D - Theme Night - I'd watch the rest of the anthology while I have it out, but I'm not sure if they all fit the day's theme.
Village of the Damned (1960) - D - * - Theme Night - Nicely done makeup, hairstyle, and eye effects instill much creepiness into the kids.
Village of the Damned (1960) - D - * - Theme Night - Again with film historian commentary.
Children of the Damned (1964) - D - * - Theme Night - A bit too political for me.
Children of the Damned (1964) - D - * - Theme Night - Again with writer commentary.
The Fair Haired Child (2006) - O - Theme Night - Meh, but I wanted to watch at least one thing on Hulu this year.
The Pit (1981) - D - * - Theme Night - Been putting this off for years. Fun.
Week 3 - weekly count = 52
Spoiler:
Friday, October 15th - Work, eat, sleep, watch movies. That's my life. Daily count = 8

Night of the Creeps (1986) - B -31 Films Subset - Theme Night - A true classic.
Bad Taste (1987) - D - Theme Night - Never would have guessed that the director of stuff like this and Meet the Feebles would go on to the LOTR epics.
The Revenge of Doctor X (1970) - D - Awesome Ed Wood-ness!
The Witch's Mountain (1972) - D - * - Couldn't get into this one. Confusing, boring, didn't engage me at all.
House on Sorority Row (1983) - I - * - Theme Night - Loved this one, and want to find the re-make now.
Rabid Grannies (1988) - I - * - Theme Night - Much more fun than I anticipated.
Dolls (1987) - I - * - Theme Night - Kind of liked this old Stuart Gordon film.
Sleepaway Camp (1983) - N - Theme Night - Fits the theme perfectly, 80s cheese. Want to watch the sequels, but no time.

Saturday, October 16th - I'm not in the mood for Asian horror today, but the theme compels me. Daily count = 8


Fear No Evil (1981) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - After ten minutes, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like this one.
Fear No Evil (1981) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Yeah, it was average at best. But the commentary by writer/director Frank LaLoggia and director of photography Frederic Goodich is very informative and entertaining.
Rasen (1998) - D - * - Theme Night - Nice continuation of the story from Ringu, but not the "official" sequel apparently.
Ringu 2 (1999) - D - * - Theme Night - Too scientific and convoluted.
Ringu 0: Bâsudei (2000) - D - * - Theme Night - Too much drama, not enough horror. Don't like this prequel much.
One Missed Call (2003) - D - * - Theme Night - Didn't like the American re-make, more hopeful here.
One Missed Call 2 (2005) - D - * - Theme Night - I guess the norm for Japanese sequels is to just sort of continue the same story.
Imprint (2006) - N - Theme Night - One of my least favorite MOHs.

Sunday, October 17th - Worked 18 hours yesterday, now 18 off before working all night. Then 24 off before back to early morning day shifts. My sleep schedule/body/mind is going to be a mess for several days here. Daily count = 7

Savage County (2010) - C - * - Theme Night - Crap.
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) - D - Theme Night - Nice follow-up.
My Bloody Valentine (1981) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Decent slasher, and maybe I'd like it more if I saw it back then, but rather ho-hum now.
Tenebre (1982) - D - Theme Night - Some unsanity from Argento is always a nice time.
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1990) - D - * - Theme Night - Surprised to really like these sequels.
Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1990) - D - * - Theme Night - Again with commentary.
Mortuary (2005) - B - * - Tricked into thinking that this fit the theme night. Not only does it really not, but it's a horrible film with some of the worst CGI I've ever seen.

Monday, October 18th - Hung out with a cool DVDTalker today. Daily count = 5

Tourist Trap (1979) - D - * - 31 Films Subset -
Pit and the Pendulum (1961) - D - Theme Night - Nice atmosphere, but think there could have been more oomph in the non-Price actors.
Pit and the Pendulum (1961) - D - Theme Night - Again with Corman commentary.
Let Me In (2010) - T - * - Good film, especially for a re-make, but much inferior to the original.
The Broken (2008) - D - * - Theme Night - Didn't expect much from an AfterDark HorrorFest release, but this one really delivered.

Tuesday, October 19th - More Canadian horror out there than I thought. Daily count = 9

Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) - B - * - Theme Night -
Smash Cut (2009) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Much better than I anticipated, but not my favorite sub-genre.
Smash Cut (2009) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Again with group commentary.
Rabid (1977) - D - * - Theme Night -
Attack of the Puppet People (1958) - N -
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) - B - * - Theme Night - Again with group commentary.
Final Destination (2000) - D - Theme Night -
Ginger Snaps (2000) - D - Theme Night -
Ginger Snaps: Unleashed (2004) - D - * - Theme Night -

Wednesday, October 20th - Lack of sleep is catching up to me, but my vacation is coming soon. Daily count = 8

Count Dracula's Great Love (1972) - O - * - Theme Night - The Elvira version.
Fright Night (1985) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - One of my favorites.
Fright Night (1985) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Again with pirate group commentary #1.
Fright Night (1985) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Again with pirate group commentary #2.
The Evil Dead (1981) - I - Still scares me even after a dozen or so views.
Nadja (1994) - D - * - Theme Night - Strange "arthouse" B&W flick. Not sure if I liked it or not.
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire (2002) - D - * - Theme Night -
London After Midnight (1927/2002) - D - * - Theme Night - Shame that this film was lost. This was an admirable restoration, but would love to see Browning and Chaney's complete original.

Thursday, October 21st - Last day of work for the month! Also really looking forward to the start of the local horror film festival tonight. Daily count = 7

The Seventh Victim (1943) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Best film of the month so far.
The Seventh Victim (1943) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Again with film historian commentary.
Creepshow 2 (1987) - D - * - Theme Night - Not nearly as good as the first Creepshow, or any other film really.
The House That Dripped Blood (1971) - D - * - Theme Night -
Torture Garden (1967) - D - * - Theme Night - Fairly bad, saved by the last story with Jack Palance and Peter Cushing.
Creepshow 3 (2006) - D - * - Theme Night - Even worse than the second one.
Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) - T - * - One of the best horror comedies I've ever seen.
Week 4 - weekly total = 62
Spoiler:


Friday, October 22nd - My ten day vacation starts today, really excited for it and for the rest of the SpookyMovie Festival. Daily count = 8

Virus (1999) - D - * - Only watched for my expanded checklist and Jamie Lee.
Demons (1985) - D - * - Theme Night -
Demons (1985) - D - * - Theme Night - Again with group commentary.
Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) - D - * - Theme Night - One of the first "documentaries". Great film-making, but I couldn't quite get into it.
Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) - D - * - Theme Night - Again with film historian commentary.
Colin (2008) - T - * - Could have been a great short, but drags as a feature.
Broken Springs: Shine of the Undead Zombie Bastards (2009) - T - * - Not horrible, but not particularly funny where it tries to be, and nothing too scary in the horror bits.
Shorts Entry #1
The Movie That Wouldn't Die! The Story of Carnival of Souls (1989) - D - Nice little documentary on the Criterion disc about the history of the film. Watched on the 3rd. 28 min.
Alice Jacobs is Dead (2009) - T - * - Great idea and acting, but it just sort of drags and isn't as satisfying as it could be. Watched at the Fest on the 22nd. 21 min.
The Night of the Living Duck (1988) - D - *? - On the Space Jam DVD of all places, watched on the 9th. 7 min.
The Duxorcist (1987) - D - *? - On the Space Jam DVD of all places, watched on the 9th. 8 min.
Columbus Day Weekend (1998) - O - * - Early short from the mind behind Frozen an d the Hatchet films. Absolutely horrid. I hope he got better. Watched on the 18th. 13 min.
Martian Precursor (2010) - T - * - SpookyFilm Fest alum with another sci-fi-ish chaotic blend. Watched at the Fest on the 21st. 1 min.
Aces and Eights (2008) - T - * - Average. Watched at the Fest on the 22nd. 8 min.
Seventy Percent (2009) - T - * - Ok.... Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 2 min.
Saturday, October 23rd - Werewolf theme day, is it also a full moon? It is, nice job Chad! Daily count = 10

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004) - D - * - Theme Night - Not as bad as I'd heard, loved seeing the leads again.
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004) - D - * - Theme Night - Again with group commentary.
An American Werewolf in London (1981) - B - Theme Night - With actor's commentary. A classic.
Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London' (2009) - B - * - Theme Night - Nice documentary on the BD.
The Wolfman (1941) - D - Theme Night - Fantastic cast.
The Wolfman (1941) - D - Theme Night - Again with film historian commentary.
Assignment Terror (1970) - O - * - Theme Night - Bad Naschy version of a monster mash-up.
El Monstro Del Mar! (2010) - T - * - Russ Meyer and Ray Harryhausen collide!
The Uh-Oh Show! (2009)- T - * - Herschell Gordon Lewis is great for the genre, but this film wasn't very good.
Shorts Entry #2
Red Badger and Gillman (2010) - T - * - Goofy super hero parody from a fest regular. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 10 min.
Suckathumb (2010) - T - * - Nice little fairy tale with some inventive blending of techniques. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 10 min.
March Hare (2009) - T - * - Very well shot and interesting film with disturbing characters. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 20 min.
Zombies Take the Schoolyard (2010) - T - * - Fun. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 10 min.
The Auburn Hills Breakdown (2008) - T - * - Very funny. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 17 min.
The Necronomicon (2009) - T - * - Hilarious fake commercial. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 2 min.
After Hours (2008) - T - * - Great little animated short. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 5 min.
Twilight Sucks! Emo Vampire Song (2009) - T - * - Yes! Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 3 min.
Rise of the Appliances (2010) - T - * - Perhaps my favorite short of the fest so far. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 9 min.
DemiUrge Emesis (2010) - T - * - Danny Elfman narrates a bizarre and funny animated short. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 3 min.
Sunday, October 24th - Today the Spooky Movie Film Festival is an all day affair, 5 features and 17 shorts! Daily count = 8

Flowers in the Attic (1987) - N - 31 Films Subset - Disturbing story that I'd love to see remade.
Blood Feast (1963) - D - Theme Night - Still banned in Britain? That seems silly.
Everything's Eventual (2009) - T - * - Nice feature from Stephen King's Dollar Baby program.
The Echo Game (2009) - T - * - Very well done, but a little too much like Firestarter.
Every Other Day is Halloween (2009) - T - * - If I was a filmmaker, this is the film I would have made. Absolutely fantastic examination of the "horror host" tradition, but mainly my DC area childhood hero, Count Gore De Vol.
Mørke Sjeler (2010) - T - * - Excellent Norwegian film. Title translates to Dark Souls.
S&man (2006) - T - * - Disturbing quasi-documentary from HDnet.
Shorts Entry #3
The Long Night (2008) - T - * - Nice little Australian vampire film. Watched at the Fest on the 21st. 13 min.
Betania (2010) - T - * - Nice little Italian film, but again, nice idea but it sort of drags and seems like it could have been much better. Watched at the Fest on the 22nd. 24 min.
Recollection (2010) - T - * - Nicely made short, but you'll probably figure out the twist in the first minute. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 15 min.
Dracula's Daughters vs. the Space Brains (2010) - T - * - Hilarious short with Neil Patrick Harris. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 6 min.
Doppleganger (2009) - T - * - Nice little avant gaurde film. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 4 min.
The Brutalizer (2010) - T - * - Disturbing slasher. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 6 min.
The Nightmares of Edgar Allan Potato Head (2009) - T - * - Inventive and funny. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 5 min.
Hymen (2010) - T - * - Most disturbing film of the Fest so far. Watched at the Fest on the 23rd. 10 min.
A Pain Like This (2009) - T - * - Good music video. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 5 min.

Monday, October 25th - The last day of the Spooky Movie Film Festival. I'm quite sad. Daily count = 10

Gojira (1954) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - One of my all-time favorites.
Croc (2007) - D - * - Theme Night - Bad film in the Maneater Triple Pack series.
The Sea Beast (2008) - D - * - Theme Night - And another.
Mad Monster Party? (1967) - D - Theme Night -Checklist mana.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) - D - Decent.
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) - I - Not as good as I remember. A bit dated perhaps.
Brain Damage (1988) - D - * - Campy fun.
The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) - D - * - MST3K version. Hey little buddy!
The Matrimony (2007) - T - * - Well done Chinese film closes out the festival.
Shorts Entry #4
The Baby Shredder Song (2008) - T - * - Disturbing, but very funny and well made. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 5 min.
By Her Hand, She Draws You Down (2010) - T - * - Very polished short. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 26 min.
Night of the Punks (2010) - T - * - Lots of fun. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 18 min.
Dinner Date (2009) - T - * - Uncomfortable, well done short. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 13 min.
St. Christophorus: Roadkill (2010) - T - * - Fantastic. Watched at the Fest on the 24th. 27 min.
Tuesday, October 26th - Decided to celebrate Spanish film theme day with the excellent 6 Films to Keep You Awake set. Daily count = 10

El Espinazo del Diablo (2001) - N - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - The Devil's Backbone
Regreso a Moira (2006) - D - Theme Night - Spectre
Adivina Quién Soy (2006) - D - Theme Night - A Real Friend
Cuento de Aavidad (2005) - D - Theme Night - A Christmas Tale
La habitación del niño (2006) - D - Theme Night - The Baby's Room
La Culpa (2006) - D - Theme Night - Blame
Para Entrar a Vivir (2006) - D - Theme Night - To Let
Incubus (1966) - D - Quasi-Theme Night - Shatner's 2nd best non-ST film.
Rosemary's Baby (1968) - D - Going to work on the checklist a bit tonight and tomorrow.
Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) - D - * - Watched this one for the GP rating.

Wednesday, October 27th - Checklist day. Daily count = 9

Hybrid (1997) - D - * - Theme Night - Now I now why I've always avoided Fred Olen Ray movies.
Funny Games (1997) - D - * -
Funny Games (2007) - D - * -
The Naked Witch (1961) - D - Watched for the M rating in my checklist.
Basket Case (1982) - D - Watched by last Henenlotter for at least a year.
Shocker (1989) - D - * - Theme Night -
Splinter (2008) - D - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night -
The Boogeyman (1980) - D - * - My first (?) Uli Lommel film wasn't as bad as I feared. Some decent kills and somewhat creative story elements. Still fairly crappy, but could have been much worse.
Black Dahlia (2006) - D - * - Now this one is really really bad.

Thursday, October 28th - Caught up on some sleep today. Daily count = 7

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Great to finally be able to see this again.
Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) - D - * - Theme Night -
The Frighteners (1996) - H - * - Theme Night - Not sure how I waited this long to see this film, as Jackson and Fox are favorites of mine, and great supporting cast as well.
White Noise (2005) - H - * - Theme Night - Not as good as I hoped, as I really want to like Michael Keaton films. This wasn't bad, just not great.
Dead Again (1991) - L - Theme Night - My first ever LaserDisc viewing!
House on Haunted Hill (1959) - T - * - Theme Night -Hilarious live Rifftrax simulcast.
Shorts Entry #5
Written By (2009) - T - * - Pretty original and well done. Watched at the Fest on the 25th. 15 min.
The Furred Man (2010) - T - * - Funny short from the UK. Watched at the Fest on the 25th. 15 min.
The Violinist (2009) - T - * - Saw it coming, but still fun. Watched at the Fest on the 25th. 20 min.
Mama (2008) - O - Scared the crap out of me in the theater a couple years ago. Watched online on the 26th. 3 min.
Walker Stalker (2008) - O - Watched on the 26th. Streaming link. 2 min.
Night of the Hell Hamsters (2006) - O - Watched online on the 26th. Streaming link. 16 min.
Scourge of the Vampire (2008) - O - Watched on the 26th. Streaming link. 3 min.
Downsized (2008) - O - Theme Night - Watched online on the 29th. Streaming link. 16 min.
Week 5 - weekly count = 43
Spoiler:

Friday, October 29th - Plan to concentrate on the checklist today, getting close to my OCD quest to have multiple items for my expanded version of the expanded version. Daily count = 12

Scream and Scream Again (1970) - D - Needed another film with an M rating.
The Monster Squad (1987) - B - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Love this one. So much better than the overrated Goonies.
The Black Cat (1941) - D - For Basil Rathbone.
Legacy of Blood (1971)- O - Needed a second Elvira film, surprise bonus of Carridine as well.
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) - D - * - Theme Night - For today's theme, but mainly for Debbie Rochon.
Bloodrayne (2005) - D - * - Was expecting worse from a Uwe Boll film, but still shocked that Sir Ben Kingsley was in this.
The Phantom of the Opera (1925) - D - For a 2nd Lon Chaney Sr. film, and part of some time with my Mom.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978) - D - Theme Night - For a 2nd "Attack of" film, but also a great 'bad' movie and part of theme night. My Mom enjoyed it too.
Man Bites Dog (1992) - V - Theme Night - For VHS format, theme night, and ratings buffer. Oh, and a bizarre and thought-provoking film as well.
Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988) - D - Theme Night - Clooney!
Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) - D - Theme Night - For Glenn Strange, theme night, and classic comedy goodness!
Evil Dead II (1987) - D - Theme Night - For Bruce Campbell and ratings buffer.

Saturday, October 30th - Crap, the subset of the day is going to make me leave the house again?! You're cutting into my checklist time Chad. Daily count = 12

Trauma (1993) - D - * - Theme Night - For giallo and Brad Dourif.
Shivers (1975) - D - Theme Night - More Steele.
House of the Dead (2003) - D - Theme Night - It's very sad of me that this is becoming one of my most watched films due to this checklist obsession. A second Uwe Boll, video game related, and Clint Howard here
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988) - D - * - Theme Night - My checklist mania has no shame. Only other Fred Olen Ray film I could find.
Saw 3D (2010) - T - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night -Same old crap.
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) - T - * - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Not particularly scary, but interesting and decent enough. A couple of good jumps and nice linking to the original.
From Beyond the Grave (1973) - D - Theme Night - British anthology with lots of checklist options.
Waxwork (1988) - D - * - Theme Night - Nice premise, average execution.
The Grave (1996) - D - * - Theme Night - Scrambling to find two Keith David films to watch.
The House of the Devil (2009) - D - Theme Night - Love the slowly building dread and the "oh crap!" moment with her friend.
At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964) - D - * - Theme Night - My first Coffin Joe film is on deck.
TV Entry #7
The Day of the Triffids, S1E1 (1981) - N - * - Vague memory of seeing this or a film version of it long ago.
The Simpsons, S6E6, Treehouse of Terror V (1994) - V - Theme Night - For format and theme night. This was a fun blast in the past, finding my old video tapes, and realizing that I made this tape in 1994. Coincidentally, this happens to be my favorite Simpsons episode ever.
Community, S2E6, Epidemiology (2010) - C - * - Theme Night - Halloween party episode was pretty much an outright short horror film, and funny as heck.
The Office, S7E6, Costume Contest (2010) - C - * - Theme Night - Almost a good episode.
Sunday, October 31st - Was hoping to just watch films that take place on Halloween all day and night, but I need about 5 other films to finish my 2nd run through the super-expanded checklist. 28 or so hour marathon drains me.Daily count = 19 (some grouped items from earlier days)

The Puppet Masters (1994) - D - Donald Sutherland rules in this type of role.
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009) - D - * - Figure this would be crappy, but need a 2nd Ti West film. I was right, complete crap.
This Night I Will Possess Your Corpse (1967) - D - * - The 2nd Coffin Joe film.
Santa Claws (1996) - D - More shameless pursuit of checklist doubles.
The Devil's Rejects (2005) - D - Berryman and Trejo.
Dead Heat (1988) - D - * - Miller and Quigley.
Halloween (2007) - D - Theme Night - Remake, Trejo, Howard, Moseley, Kier, and Dourif. The checklist appears to have been created to watch this train wreck.
Halloween (1978) - B - Theme Night - One of my favorites. Watched with commentary this time.
Night of the Demons (1988) - D - 31 Films Subset - Theme Night - Not as fond as this as I had hoped. 80s kids and teenager movies usually fail for me.
Night of the Demons 2 (1994) - D - * - Theme Night - Holy cow was that bad.
Night of the Demons III (1997) - D - * - Theme Night - Imagine that this will likely be even worse, but my OCD compels me.
Night of the Demons (2009) - D - * - Theme Night - Horrible.
Trick 'r Treat (2007) - B - Theme Night - Don't love it as much as most here, but it is growing on me a bit.
Halloween II (1981) - D - Theme Night - I probably say this every year, but I really love sequels that pick up immediately where the original ends.
The Fear: Halloween Night (1999) - D - * - Theme Night - Forgettable.
Happy Hell Night (1992) - - D - * - Theme Night - Great if only because it has two of my favorite actors, Darren McGavin and Sam Rockwell. And playing the same character!
Saturday the 14th (1981) - D - * - Theme Night - In the final hours before dawn, I decided that something light and funny would be best. The countless hours of dark films was wearing on my soul. This film was painfully unfunny though, so it didn't help.
TV Entry #8
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) - D - Theme Night - Watched this classic on the 31st.
The Walking Dead, S1E1, Days Gone By (2010) - C - * - Nothing remotely original. Good for TV I guess. But if you've seen a few zombie films you've seen everything here.
Hodgepodge Entry #1
Saturday the 14th Strikes Back (1988) - D - * - My last film of the Challenge. Fell asleep somewhere near the end, so I won't count it really, just add it to these leftover shorts and TV shows.
Outsourced, S1E6, Bolloween (2010) - C - * - Theme Night - Watched this awful TV show on the 30th.
Lawn of the Dead (2008) - O - Streaming link. Watched on the 26th. 6 min.
Back to Life (2008) - O - Youtube link. Watched on the 26th. 3 min.
Curse (2008) - O - * - Streaming link. Watched on the 31st. 7 min.
La maison ensorcelée (1908) - O - * - Streaming link. Watched on the 31st. 6 min.
The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901) - O - * - Streaming link. Watched on the 31st. 3 min.
30 Second Bunny Theater - O - * - Streaming link. Watched of bunch of these short parodies on the 31st. 9 min.
Season's Greetings (1996) - B - * - On the Trick 'r Treat BD. Watched on the 31st. 4 min.
Season's Greetings (1996) - B - * - Again with creator commentary. All hand drawn, nice. Watched on the 31st. 4 min.
The Raven read by John De Lancie (2010) - O - * - Streaming link. Watched on the 31st. 9 min.

31 Films Subset - 31/31
Spoiler:

-N- From Beyond (1986)
-D- Sisters (1973)
-I- The Cat and the Canary (1927)
-O- Horror Hotel (1960)
-N- Dead Snow (2009)
-D- It's Alive (1974)
-N- Octaman (1971)
-B- Salvage (2009)
-D- Black Rainbow (1989)
-N- City of the Living Dead (1980)
-D- The Blob (1988)
-D- Sheitan (2006)
-D- Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
-D- The Children (2008)
-B- Night of the Creeps (1986)
-D- Fear No Evil (1981)
-D- My Bloody Valentine (1981)
-D- Tourist Trap (1979)
-D- Smash Cut (2009)
-X- Fright Night (1985)
-D- The Seventh Victim (1943)
-D- Demons (1985)
-D- Ginger Snaps (2000)
-N- Flowers in the Attic (1987)
-D- Gojira (1954)
-N- The Devil's Backbone (2001)
-D- Splinter (2008)
-D- Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
-D- The Monster Squad (1987)
-T- Theatrical Showing - Anything - Saw 3D and Paranormal Activity 2
-D- Night of the Demons (1988)

Theme Night - 31/31
Spoiler:
-D- Bloody Tea & Crumpets - Hammer / Amicus / Ealing
-N- Outback Chillers & Kiwi Killers - Australian / New Zealand
-I- Mother Nature Runs Amok! - Natural Horror Films
-X- An Excellent Day for an Exorcism - Possession / Satanic / Demonic
-X- Human. It's What's for Dinner - Cannibalism
-X- The Freaks Come Out at Night - Mutants
-X- Killer Grannies & Saggy Mammaries - Psycho-biddy (Hagsploitation)
-X- Fava Beans & Chianti Mindfucks - Psychological Horror
-X- A Dish Best Served with Bloody Mayhem - Rape & Revenge
-X- They're Coming to Get You, Barbara! - Zombie Films
-D- Welcome to Virginityville - Population: 0 - Teen Screams
-D- Get the Hell Off Jethro's Property! - Backwoods Horror
-X- Reading is Fundamentally Dead - Films Based on Horror Novels
-X- Schedule a Play Date with Damien - Creepy Kids
-X- Fermented for Your Approval - Cheesy '80s Horror
-D- The Newly Expanded Asian Buffet of Terrors! - Korean / Thai / J-Horror / etc
-X- It Slices, Dices & Guts You Like a Fish - Slashers / Giallos / Serial Killers
-D- Nevermore Frightening - Cinema Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe
-X- Ooh! Scary, eh? - Canadian Horror Films
-X- A Reel Cinematic Suckfest! - Vampire Films
-X- Once, Twice, Three Times the Lacerations - Horror Anthologies
-X- Passport to Sheer Terror! - BFI's 100 European Horror Films
-X- Full Moon Madness! - Werewolves
-D- Condemned to VHS Hell! - Video Nasties
-D- Giant Monkeys & Radioactive Lizards - Creature Features
-X- ¡Mierda Espantosa! - Spanish Horror Films
-D- Supercharged Zombie Go Boom! - Action Horror
-X- They're Still Here - Supernatural / Haunted House / Ghost
-X- It's Pronounced "Fronkensteen" - Comedy Horror Films
-X- Death by Caffeine on Devil's Night - Mass Marathon of the Damned
-X- I'm Crazy Blu-ray Face! Give Me Some Candy! - Halloween Related

The Uber Expanded Checklist (all shared entries separated, and past checklist drops re-added) - 126/126, twice
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
-O- 1890 - multiple
-O- 1900 - multiple
-O- 1910 - multiple
-X- 1920 - multiple
-X- 1930 - multiple
-X- 1940 - multiple
-X- 1950 - multiple
-X- 1960 - multiple
-X- 1970 - multiple
-X- 1980 - multiple
-X- 1990 - multiple
-X- 2000 - multiple
-X- 2010 - multiple
-X- Year of birth - multiple

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - multiple
-D- Approved - multiple
-D- G - multiple
-D- GP - multiple
-X- PG - multiple
-O- PG-13 - multiple
-D- M - multiple
-X- R - multiple
-D- NC-17 - multiple
-D- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) - multiple
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - multiple

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-D- First format, DVD, multiple.
-N- Second format, Netflix streaming, multiple.
-O- Third format, online streaming, multiple.
-B- Third format, blu-ray, multiple.
-T- Fourth format, theatrical, multiple.
-I- Fifth format, iPhone, multiple.
-V- Sixth format, VHS, multiple.
-L- Seventh format, Laserdisc, Dead Again.
-H-Eighth format, HD-DVD, multiple.

Watch a film starring:
-D- Glenn Strange - multiple
-D- Basil Rathbone - multiple
-D- Danny Trejo - multiple
-D- John Saxon - multiple
-X- Paul Naschy - multiple
-D- José "Coffin Joe" Marins - multiple
-D- John Carradine - multiple
-D- Donald Pleasence - multiple
-X- Clint Howard - multiple
-D- Michael Berryman - multiple
-D- Keith David - multiple
-D- Bill Moseley - multiple
-B- Dick Miller - multiple
-D- David Warner - multiple
-D- Barbara Steele - multiple
-D- Udo Kier - multiple
-D- Brad Dourif - multiple
-D- Tony Todd - multiple
-D- Linnea Quigley - multiple
-D- Debbie Rochon - multiple
-D- Bela Lugosi - multiple
-D- Lon Chaney Sr. - multiple
-D- Boris Karloff - multiple
-D- Lon Chaney Jr. - multiple
-D- Vincent Price - multiple
-C- Peter Cushing - multiple
-C- Christopher Lee - multiple
-X- Robert Englund - multiple
-I- Bruce Campbell - multiple
-D- Jamie Lee Curtis - multiple

Watch films in at least three languages.
-X- First language, English, multiple.
-X- Second language, French, multiple.
-X- Third language, Swedish, multiple.
-X- Fourth language, Norwegian, multiple.
-N- Fifth language, Korean, The Ghost.
-X- Sixth language, silent, multiple.
-D- Seventh language, Japanese, multiple.
-X- Eighth language, Spanish, multiple.
-T- Ninth language, Chinese, The Matrimony.
-D- Tenth language, Esperanto, Incubus.
-D- Eleventh language, Thai, Immortal Enemy.
-D- Twelfth language, German, Funny Games.
-T- Thirteenth language, Portuguese, multiple.

Watch a title in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - multiple
-X- Frankenstein - multiple
-X- Werewolf - multiple
-O- Mummy - multiple
-X- Invisible Being - multiple
-X- Ghost/haunting - multiple
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - multiple
-X- Zombie - multiple
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - multiple
-D- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - multiple
-X- Documentary - multiple
-X- Musical - multiple
-D- War - multiple
-D- Western - multiple
-X- Spoof/comedy - multiple
-X- Revenge - multiple
-D- Killer/evil doll - multiple
-X- Killer/evil animal - multiple
-X- Killer/evil child - multiple
-D- Giallo - multiple
-D- J horror - multiple
-D- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - multiple
-X- film and its remake - multiple
-X- based on a novel - multiple
-X- based on or made into a video game - multiple
-D- directed by Fred Olen Ray - multiple
-D- directed by Ti West - multiple
-D- directed by Frank Henenlotter - multiple
-X- directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis - multiple
-D- directed by Uwe Boll - multiple
-D- directed by Ulli Lommel - multiple
-X- won an Academy Award -- any category - multiple
-N- silent film - multiple
-X- Criterion version film - multiple
-D- with commentary - multiple
-D- film and at least two of its sequels - multiple series
-X- anthology film - multiple
-D- appears on video nasties list - multiple
-O- hosted by Elvira - multiple
-X- takes place on a holiday - multiple
-X- takes place in space - multiple
-D- takes place on or under the sea - multiple
-D- animated film - multiple
-D- called "Day of ..." - multiple
-D- called "Night of ..." - multiple
-D- called "Return of ..." - multiple
-N- called "Revenge of ..." - multiple
-N- called "Attack of ..." - multiple
-D- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - multiple

Last edited by Trevor; 11-09-10 at 07:09 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:05 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

Indy's 2nd Annual Halloween/Horror Challenge

Indy's 2009 Halloween/Horror Challenge

Goal= 37 Actually= 50! (Finished last year with 33)
* indicates first time viewing
Final List

October 1

October 2
1. Piranha (1978)- This is flat out entertaining, a product of it's time with some great talent behind it.
2. Scream 3- Not bad, but you could see the franchise was running outta gas.
3. House of Wax (2005)- A mixed bag, some really good stuff and some really bad stuff. But seeing Paris Hilton impaled makes it all worthwhile.

October 3
4. Hocus Pocus- Call me crazy, but I love this movie, a "horror" movie I can watch with the kids.
5. Friday the 13th (2009)- Good in a style over substance way. The new track and field Jason just didn't feel right though.

October 4
6. Creepshow- Over the top in every way, but fun if you don't mind cheesy and unrealistic.
7. Frankenstein* (1931)- Only seen parts of this classic, this is the grandfather of the super-human killer a la Jason and Michael.
8. The Bride of Frankenstein* (1935)- A sequel that actually has character development, this should be the blueprint for all horror sequels.
9. Monster Squad- They definitely don't make 'em like this any more. Holds up great after all these years, my kids love it as much as I did.
10. Rosemary's Baby*- Overall I liked it, but I think this one could use a remake. Little too 60's for my taste.

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8
11. The Amityville Horror (2005)- Here's a remake that's better than the original. The film rests on Reynolds' shoulders and he does a great job.
12. Nightmare on Elm Street 2- Just barely okay, at least Freddy was still menacing and not all about the corny one-liners.
13. Triangle*- Great Twilight Zone sort of movie with strong performances from everyone involved. More of the thinking person's horror film.

October 9
14. Children of the Corn (1985)- Not really a classic, but a solid thriller that often gets overlooked. And it reminds us how cute Linda Hamilton used to be.
15. Species- I remember liking this a lot more when it first came out, but now it's barely above average. Nothing really new here and the groups spends a lot of time stating the obvious which got annoying.

October 10
16. Resident Evil- Oh how this could have been a brilliant franchise if only they had stuck closer to the games. But this is what happens when you put B-talent on something, it's not bad mind you, just shows flashes of it's potential.
17. Dracula (1992)- Not nearly as good as I remembered, little too long and bloated with uneven performances.
18. The Exorcist- Breaking out a big gun, this is the perfect slow burn. One of the greatest movies of all time.

October 11
19. Nightmare on Elm Street 4- Not a bad sequel, if only they would have keep Freddy in the shadows and cut all the one-liners this could have been a much scarier franchise.
20. Son of Frankenstein*- What a great sequel, keeps with the themes and story from the previous movies. Just wish they wouldn't have regressed the monster.
21. Suck*- A very Canadian comedy... all I need to say about that.

October 12

October 13

October 14

October 15
22. Carnival of Souls* (1962)- Good for it's time I guess, but just didn't do it for me.
23. Wes Craven's New Nightmare- I liked that they tried something different, but I don't think it really worked.
24. Monster House- The best animated horror movie of all time. Funny with enough scares for the whole family.
25. Survival of the Dead*- What you have hear about the flick is true, unless you heard good things. I like all the other Dead movies by Romero (even Diary), but not only was the acting and CGI bad in this, the story just didn't make sense.

October 16
26. Hellraiser: Hellworld- The first decent Hellraiser sequel in a long time, has everything a good horror film needs.
27. House on Sorority Row* (1983)-Pretty good, has that late 70s, early 80s horror feel, but well done.
28. Casper- Fun Halloween movie the whole family can enjoy.
29. Silent Hill- Probably the best video game adaptation, captures the spookiness and creepy feel from the game very well.

October 17
30. Dawn of the Dead: European Cut (1978)- Best word to describe this is fun. Perfectly walks the line between horror, satire and comedy.
1/4 It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown- Apart of Halloween just like Trick-or-Treating, classic family entertainment.
31. The Lost Boys- Great vampire flick that is the genesis of the "cool vampire".

October 18
32. Pitch Black- Good solid Aliens type sci-fi/horror. The characters had actual depth to them and the setting was rather unique.
33. The Children*- Pretty good film, but the screaming and whining got on my nerves. But really, what's creepier than kids (see the Shinning, Pet Sematary... etc.)?

October 19

October 20

October 21

October 22
34. Night of the Demons* (2009)- Not too bad, cheaply shot, but decent acting and effects. Furlong sure hasn't aged well.

October 23
35. I Know What You Did Last Summer- The very definition of 90's horror... good looking cast, witty dialogue, and the standard homage to the 70's and 80's. Still entertaining though.
36. Night of the Living Dead (1968)- Just amazing that this movie was made in the 60's. Easily one of the top 5 horror movies ever made.
37. Beetlejuice- The movie that made Burton. As funny now as it was then, vintage Keaton.
38. Nightmare on Elm Street* (2010)- I was never a huge fan of NoES which is probably why I liked this so much. Haley was actually menacing which England stop being after the original and the story just made more sense.

October 24
39. Poltergeist- The best haunted house movie of all time and proof that PG movies can be scary.
40. Candyman- If only they'd have went less "Gothic" and more "horror", this could have been a great movie. Instead it's just pretty decent.

October 25
41. Trick 'r Treat- Not only is this a great Halloween movie, it's a pretty good horror film as well. An updated, more improved version of Creepshow.
42. Lady in White- Wonder Years meets the Sixth Sense, a great old fashioned ghost story.
43. The Stepfather* (2009)- Vanilla remake that brings nothing new to the table except a hot girlfriend.

October 26

October 27

October 28
2/4- Community*- Introduction to Statistics
3/4- Community*- Epidemiology
44. (4/4) The Office*- Costume Contest

October 29
45. The Omen (1976)- Why is this a classic when the remake was pedestrian? The direction! This is a masterful blend of suspense and horror.

October 30
46. The Girl Who Played with Fire* (WC)- Not exactly horror, but pretty close with it's themes. Very well made and the acting is strong.
47. The Thing (1982)- One of the top 10 horror movies of all time and stands up so well it could have been made last year.
48. Sleepy Hollow (1999)- Perfect mood and setting, and Depp is his usual brilliant self. Fun and engaging.
49. Halloween (1978)- The seminal classic that is the best slasher film ever.

October 31
50. The Walking Dead- Episode 1* (WC)- Little slow, but has the makings of a great show.

Last edited by Indy24LA; 09-19-14 at 04:45 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:18 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

10/5
1. Rape is a Circle
10/25
2. John Carpenter's The Thing
10/30
3. The Strangers

Last edited by William Fuld; 10-31-10 at 05:05 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:21 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

2010 October Horror Movie Challenge

Goal: 50

Blu-ray | DVD | HD DVD | TV/DVR/Online | Theater

☼ = First Time Viewing

October 1
01. Frankenstein (1931)☼ Started off with a classic. I had seen bits and pieces of this on TV over the years, but this is the first time I've watched it from start to finish, so I'm counting it as a first time viewing. 8/10
02. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)☼ A step down from the original, but still pretty entertaining. I especially enjoyed seeing Frankenstein become a little more "human" by learning to talk and showing some emotion. 7/10

October 2
03. Grace (2009) WOW, that was bizarre!!! I'm really not sure if I liked it or not. Good premise, but the ending just never quite paid off. It did keep me interested the entire time, though. 6/10

October 3
04. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)☼ Creeping, disturbing, brutal and I loved every minute of it!!!

October 4
05. Son of Frankenstein (1939)☼ Excellent!!! I think I liked this as much if not more than the original. 8/10
06. The Forsaken (2001)☼ Story about a guy hired to deliver a car from Los Angeles to Miami who encounters vampires along the way. A littel different take on vampires, but I still didn't buy it. 4/10
07. The Return (2006)☼ It was all I could do to stay awake during this. 3/10
08. Private Parts (1972)☼ Not sure what the hell this was about, but it did keep me entertained for 90 minutes. 5/10

October 5
09. The Hand (1981)☼ Decent story starring Michael Caine as a cartoonist who looses his hand in an auto accident. Directed by Oliver Stone. 6/10
10. The Changeling (1980)☼ Excellent ghost/haunted house story that should be must viewing for any horror fan. 9/10
11. Hellraiser (1987) I know a lot of people love this, but I didn't care too much for it. I don't know, I guess it's just not my type of horror 5/10
12. Rest Stop: Dead Ahead (2006) I wasn't expecting much out of this and was pleasently surprised. It's brutal and there are plently of plot holes, but I still liked it for what it is. 7/10
13. Dead Snow (2009) Good gore, good premise, just the right amount of comedy. A little slow to start, but ends stong and is one of he better recent zombie releases. 8/10

October 6
14. The Skeleton Key (2005) Better than I expected. I believe it's the first movie I've seen dealing with HooDoo. 6/10
15. Tenebre (1982)☼ Excellent giallo from Argento. A little slow to get started, but once it does, it's never stops. 7/10
16. Phenomena (1985)☼ Another Argento film that's more supernatural thriller with a few horror elements sprinkled in than true horror. 6/10
17. Carrie (1976) A true classic that's just as good today as it was the day it was released. No matter how many times I've seen the last scene, I still jump every time. 8/10

October 7
18. Eyes of a Stranger (1981)☼ Decent early eighties serial killer/slasher film. This is supposedly the X rated version although I don't have any idea why it would have been rated X. 5/10
19. The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)☼ I'm really enjoying these Frankenstein movies in the Legacy Collection. 6/10
20. House of Frankenstein (1944)☼ The weakest of the Frankenstein Legacy Collection movies. I don't think they had enough material for a full film, so segments were added with Dracula and the Wolfman. 4/10
21. Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (2008) Same basic story as the first Rest Stop. Just as brutal just not as effective as the original. 5/10

October 8
22. I Bury the Living (1958)☼ 5/10
October 9
23. Carnival of Souls (1962)☼ I'm generally not a fan of this era of horror, but I have to admit, they got this one right. Great creepy atmosphere. I watched the 78 minute version and it did seem like it was heavily edited. I will make an effort to watch the directors cut in a future challenge. 8/10

October 10
24. The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)☼ Falls into the so bad it's good category. Quite a bit of gore for its time. I loved it. 6/10

October 11
25. Trauma (1993)☼ Not quite as good as Tenebre, but close. 6/10
26. The Haunting (1963)☼ Watched this to fill in the G rating on the checklist and it was better than I expected. Good atmosphere. 6/10
27. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)☼ A sequel that is actually good!!! Excellent job of capturing the look and feel of the original. 7/10
28. Fear Itself: Eater (2008)☼ My first ever episode of Fear Itself and if all the rest are close to this one, I'm in for a treat. 7/10

October 12
29. Ghost Ship (2002) Average ghost story at best. Another one I expected to be a little better. 5/10
30. The Strangers (2008) Loved it. So far, my favorite movie of the challenge. Great atmosphere, intense and chilling. 9/10

October 13
31. Event Horizon (1997) A little disappointed by this one. I thought I would love it and wanted to love it, but it never delivered the big payoff I was expecting. Maybe I was expecting too much. 6/10

October 14
32. The Children (2008) Excellent and disturbing. Would like to have seen a little more background on what was causing the issues in the children, but not a major distraction overall. 7/10
33. Fear Itself: Spooked (2008)☼ Another excellent episode. A notch below Eater, but still good. 6/10

October 15
34. The Last House on the Left (1972)☼ Not as brutal as I expected, maybe I had heard a little too much about it. Still a good movie, just hard to believe one human being can do those thing to another. 6/10
35. Fear Itself: Community (2008)☼ Weak episode, just not very much happened. I know what the director was going for, but it didn't work, at least for me. 3/10

October 16
36. Fear Itself: The Sacrifice (2008)☼ Good bounce back after the awful Community. 6/10
37. Fear Itself: In Sickness and in Health (2008)☼ Decent episode, albeit a little slow. 5/10

October 17
38. Fear Itself: Family Man (2008)☼ I liked this one a lot. Good twist, although predictable, on the serial killer genre. 7/10

October 18
39. My Bloody Valentine (1981) Good, solid early eighties slasher. If you have the blu-ray, be sure to watch the extended version. I watched the theatrical before realizing the extended version was included, but I did go back and watch the deleted scenes. The gore factor is definitely upped in this version, and I think it would improve the overall experience tremendously. 6/10
40. Fear Itself: Something With Bite (2009)☼ Pretty good werewolf epsiode. I enjoyed it. 6/10

October 19
41. The House of the Devil (2009) Excellent!!! One of my favorite movies of the challenge so far. Perfectly captures the look and feel of the eighties from the music to the clothing to the hairstyles. Highly recommended. 8/10
42. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)☼ Another of psychological horror films that seemed to be popular in the seventies. Pretty good entry that's a little dated but still makes you think. Is it real or all in her head? 6/10
43. Fear Itself: New Year's Day (2008)☼ Now this is more like it! Excellent zombie episode that ups the gore factor ten fold over the other espisodes. My favorite of the bunch so far. 8/10

October 20
44. High Tension (2005) Really good until the twist is revealed. Not really sure why the director went that direction unless he just didn't have another way to end the film. Overall, still worth a watch, but could have been so much more. 7/10

October 21
45. The Alphabet Killer (2008) Not even a topless Eliza Dushku, albeit brief, could save this. I've really been indifferent to her in the past, but this really brought how bad an actress she really is. 2/10

October 22
46. The Ghost (1963)☼ Another of those from the era I'm not particularly fond of, but it wasn't bad. Good atmosphere and some pretty good effects for its time. 5/10

October 23
47. Fear Itself: Skin and Bones (2008)☼ One of the better episodes. These have been all over the place with some being excellent and others being trash. 6/10

October 24
48. Night of the Living Dead (1968)☼ My first time watching this from start to finish and it lived up to the hype! The godfather of zombie movies. 8/10

October 25
49. The Card Player (2004)☼ Another really good giallo from Dario Argento. Can't decide if I like this or Tenebere better. 7/10
50. Cabin Fever (2002)☼ Loved it!!! I have owned the DVD for a couple of years and just never got around to watching it. I watched the theatrical version, but I'm definitely going to pick up the blu-ray for the director's cut. 7/10
51. Mute Witness (1994)☼ Decent thriller, good setting. Pleasantly surprised by the tension. 6/10
52. Fear Itself: Chance (2009)☼ Horrible, horrible episode. No redeeming qualities at all. 1/10

October 26
53. Raising Cain (1992)☼ Good psychological thriller from Brian De Palma. A little confusing in the beginning, but sorts it all out for a good payoff by the end. 6/10
54. Quarantine (2008) Hey, what can I say? I liked it. I haven't seen [REC] and maybe I'd feel differently if I had, but for me, it offered good atmosphere, tension and was suspenseful. No complaints here. 7/10

October 27
55. Drag Me to Hell (2009) Good, but not great. I guess I expected a little more from it. 6/10
56. Fear Itself: The Spirit Box (2009)☼ Decent episode. Good storyline. 6/10

October 28
57. The Unborn (2009) A little weird and out there, but kept me entertained throughout. 6/10
58. The Boogeyman (1980)☼ Just not good. Nothing more to say about it. 3/10

October 29
59. Return of the Boogeyman (1994)☼ Made The Boogeyman look good!!! I should have just rewatched that as this was primarily made up of flashbacks to the first film. 1/10
60. Fear Itself: Echoes (2009)☼ Pretty good episode about reincarnation. 6/10
61. Fear Itself: The Circle (2009)☼ I liked this episode quite a bit. Good never ending storyline. 7/10
62. Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005)☼ Another excellent Argento. I've enjoyed all the Argento I've watched during this challenge and will make a point to pick-up more before next year. 7/10

October 30
63. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) Not as good as the original, but much, much better than I expected. I especially liked how they tied it to the original. 7/10
64. Dominique (1978)☼ Boring, boring, boring. 4/10

October 31
65. Trick 'r Treat (2008) Disappointed in this entry. I had heard all the praise and really thought I would love it, but it just didn't do anything for me. Maybe I expected too much. 5/10


*** LIST COMPLETE ***

Checklist:
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 -
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
-X- 1930 - Frankenstein (1931)
-X- 1940 - The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
-X- 1950 - I Bury the Living (1958)
-X- 1960 - Carnival of Souls (1962)
-X- 1970 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
-X- 1980 - The Hand (1981)
-X- 1990 - Trauma (1993)
-X- 2000 - Grace (2009)
-X- 2010 - Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - Frankenstein (1931)
-X- G - The Haunting (1963)
-X- PG - Dominique (1978)
-X- PG-13 - The Return (2006)
-X- R - Grace (2009)
-X- NC-17 - High Tension (2005)
-X- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) - Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - Rest Stop: Dead Ahead (2006)

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format: Frankenstein (1931) DVD
-X- Second format: Grace (2009) Blu-ray
-X- Third format: The Skeleton Key HD DVD

Watch a film starring:
-X- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - Son of Frankenstein (1939) - Basil Rathbone
-X- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo - Tenebre (1982) - Tenebre - John Saxon
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
-X- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine - Phenomena (1985) - Donald Pleasence
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
-X- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David - The Alphabet Killer (2008) - Bill Moseley
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
-X- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - The Ghost (1963) - Barbara Steele
-X- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - Trauma (1993) - Brad Dourif
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-X- First language: Dead Snow (2009) - Norwegian
-X- Second language: High Tension (2005) - French

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - The Forsaken (2001)
-X- Frankenstein - Frankenstein (1931)
--- Werewolf -
--- Mummy -
-X- Ghost/haunting - The Changeling (1980)
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - The House of the Devil (2009)
-X- Zombie - Dead Snow (2009)
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Frankenstein (1931)
--- Documentary -
--- Musical -
-X- Spoof/comedy - The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)
-X- Revenge - Carrie (1976)
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
-X- Killer/evil child - The Children (2008)
-X- Giallo - Tenebre (1982)
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
-X- film and its remake - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) & (2003)
-X- based on a novel - Frankenstein (1931)
-X- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West - The House of the Devil (2009)
--- won an Academy Award -- any category -
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film -
--- with commentary -
-X- film and at least two of its sequels - Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein & Son of Frankenstein
-X- anthology film - Trick 'r Treat (2008)
-X- appears on video nasties list - The Last House on the Left (1972)
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday -
-X- takes place in space - Event Horizon (1997)
-X- takes place on or under the sea - Ghost Ship (2002)
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
-X- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Living Dead (1968)
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
-X- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Last edited by jmsmath; 11-04-10 at 10:02 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:32 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

List complete.

= First time viewing.

October 1st
1.Zombiemania (2008) imdb
2.Night of the Creeps (1986) imdb
October 2nd
3.Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) imdb
4.Carnival of Souls (1962) imdb
5.The X-Files: "Squeeze" | "Tooms" (1993) imdb|imdb
October 3rd
6.Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978) imdb
7.Chakushin ari [One Missed Call] (2003) imdb
8.King Kong (1933) imdb
October 4th
9.Hatchet (2006) imdb
October 5th
10.Short Films: Pre-1920 Edition
Le manoir du diable (1896) imdb
Une nuit terrible (1896) imdb
Le cauchemar (1896) imdb
Le château hanté (1897) imdb
L'auberge ensorcelée (1897) imdb
La lune à un mètre (1898) imdb
Le diable au convent (1899) imdb
Le repas fantastique (1900) imdb
Barbe-bleue (1901) imdb
Les trésors de satan (1902) imdb
Le puits fantastique (1903) imdb
L'auberge du bon repos (1903) imdb
Le monstre (1903) imdb
Le chaudron infernal (1903) imdb
Le revenant (1903) imdb
Faust aux enfers (1903) imdb
Le bourreau turc (1903) imdb
Les quatre cents farces du diable (1906) imdb
Hydrothérapie fantastique (1909) imdb
Le vitrail diabolique (1911) imdb
The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901) imdb
La maison ensorcelée (1908) imdb
Le songe d'un garçon de café (1910) imdb
Frankenstein (1910) imdb
October 6th
11.The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) imdb
October 7th
12.Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) imdb
13.Fringe: "The Box" | "The Plateau" (2010) imdb|imdb
October 8th
14.Short Films: Post-1990 Edition
Mirindas asesinas (1991) imdb
Over the Rainbow (1997) imdb
Elevated (1997) imdb
Paranoid (2000) imdb
The Cat With Hands (2001) imdb
The Ten Steps (2004) imdb
Zombie Movie (2005) imdb
The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon (2008)imdb
Curse (2008) imdb
Séance (2009) imdb
October 9th
15.Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) imdb
16.Phenomena (1985) imdb
17.Slither (2006) imdb
18.The X-Files: "Chinga" | "Bad Blood" (1998) imdb|imdb
October 10th
19.C'est arrivé près de chez vous [Man Bites Dog] (1992) imdb
20.The House of the Devil (2009) imdb
21.Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) imdb
22.Paperhouse (1988) imdb
23.Triangle (2009) imdb
October 11th
24.À Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma (1964) imdb
25.Spiral (2007) imdb
October 12th
26.Day of the Woman (1978) imdb
27.Phantasm (1979) imdb
October 13th
28.The Mist (2007) imdb
29.Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) imdb
October 14th
30.Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) imdb
31.Dracula (1931) imdb
October 15th
32.Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) imdb
33.Supernatural: "The Third Man" | "Weekend at Bobby's" (2010) imdb|imdb
34.Burning Bright (2010) imdb
October 16th
35.Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) imdb
36.Let Me In (2010) imdb
37.Cat's Eye (1985) imdb
38.Ghostbusters (1984) imdb
39.Ils [Them] (2006) imdb
40.Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) imdb
October 17th
41.The Initiation of Sarah (1978) imdb
42.Janghwa, Hongryeon [A Tale of Two Sisters] (2003) imdb
43.Mystery Science Theater 3000: "Laserblast" (1996 [1978]) imdb
44.Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti [The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue] (1974) imdb
45.Lake Mungo (2008) imdb
46.Peeping Tom (1960) imdb
47.1408 (2007) imdb
48.Fringe: "Do Shapeshifters Dream of Electric Sheep?" (2010) | Strange: "Pilot" (2002) imdb|imdb
October 18th
49.Shadow of the Vampire (2000) imdb
50.Screamers (1995) imdb
51.Ghostwatch (1992) imdb
October 19th
52.Equinox (1970) imdb
53.Flesh for Frankenstein (1974) imdb
54.Cat People (1942) imdb
October 20th
55.The Wraith (1986) imdb
56.Elvira's Movie Macabre: Kill and Go Hide (1977 [1986?]) imdb
57.The People Under the Stairs (1991) imdb
October 21st: Attack of the Failed TV Pilots
58.The Norliss Tapes (1973) imdb
59.Hollyweird (1998) | Babylon Fields (2007) imdb|imdb
60.Bates Motel (1987) imdb
October 22nd
61.Salem's Lot (1979) imdb
62.The Mummy (1999) imdb
October 23rd
63.Short Films: Animation Edition
The Mad Doctor (1933) imdb
The Tell-Tale Heart (1953) imdb
Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969) imdb
Srazhenie (1986) imdb
The Duxorcist (1987) imdb
The Sandman (1991) imdb
Home Delivery: Servicio a domicilio (2005) imdb
Puppet (2007) imdb
Sebastian's Voodoo (2008) imdb
The Cat Piano (2009) imdb
The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9! (2009) imdb
Who's Hungry? (2009) [no imdb]
Alma (2009) imdb
Trick (2010) imdb
The Mockingbird Song (2010) [no imdb]
64.Irréversible (2002) imdb
October 24th
65.Halloween (1978) [with commentary] imdb
66.Halloween II (1981) imdb
67.Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) imdb
68.Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) imdb
69.Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) imdb
70.Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) imdb
October 25th
71.Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) imdb
72.Halloween: Resurrection (2002) imdb
73.Strange: "Zoxim" | "Kaa-Jinn" (2003) imdb|imdb
74.Night of the Demons (1988) imdb
October 26th: Return of the Failed TV Pilots
75.The Incredible Robert Baldick (1972) | Darkman (1992) | The Amazing Screw-on Head (2006) imdb|imdb|imdb
76.Nick Knight (1989) imdb
77.Spectre (1977) imdb
78.The Possessed (1977) imdb
October 27th
79.My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) imdb
80.The Thing (1982) [with commentary] imdb
81.P2 (2007) imdb
82.Don't Look Now (1973) imdb
83.Dreamscape (1984) imdb
October 28th: Revenge of the Failed TV Pilots
84.Carrie (2002) imdb
85.Rough Magik (2000) | The Ghost Writer (1990) | Tales of Frankenstein (1958) imdb|imdb|imdb
86.Dark Intruder (1965) | The World Beyond (1978) imdb|imdb
87.Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1999) imdb
October 29th
88.Wait Until Dark (1967) imdb
89.Midnight Offerings (1981) imdb
90.The Haunting of Julia (1977) imdb
91.Zombi 2 (1979) imdb
92.The Walking Dead: "Days Gone By" | Modern Family: "Halloween" (2010) imdb|imdb
93.Supernatural: "Live Free or Twihard" | "You Can't Handle the Truth" (2010) imdb|imdb
October 30th: Triple Trilogy of Terror!
94.Scream (1996) imdb
95.Scream 2 (1997) imdb
96.Scream 3 (2000) imdb
97.Poltergeist (1982) imdb
98.Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) imdb
99.Poltergeist III (1988) imdb
100.Ginger Snaps (2000) imdb
101.Ginger Snaps: Unleashed (2004) imdb
102.Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004) imdb
October 31st
103.Sherlock Holmes (2010) imdb
104.Devour (2005) imdb
105.Dawn of the Dead (1978) imdb
106.Fright Night (1985) imdb
107.Monster House (2006) imdb
108.Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) imdb
109.The Monster Squad (1987) imdb


Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history:
x1890sLe manoir du diable
x1900sFaust aux enfers
x1910sLe vitrail diabolique
x1920sNosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
x1930sKing Kong
x1940sCat People
x1950sInvasion of the Body Snatchers
x1960sWait Until Dark
x1970sPhantasm
x1980sNick Knight
x1990sElevated
x2000sLake Mungo
x2010sFringe: "The Box"
Watch a film for each rating:
xUnrated (pre-MPAA)The Haunted Curiosity Shop
xGWallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
xPGNosferatu the Vampyre
xPG-131408
xRThe Mist
xNC-17C'est arrivé près de chez vous
xXFlesh for Frankenstein
xUnrated (post-MPAA)Hatchet
Watch films in at least three formats:
xFirst format, TVZombiemania
xSecond format, DVDGhostbusters
xThird format, OnlineThe Ten Steps
xFourth format, TheaterLet Me In
xFifth format, Blu-rayHalloween
Watch a film starring:
xBasil Rathbone | Glenn StrangeAbbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
xJohn Saxon | Danny TrejoMy Mom's a Werewolf
xPaul Naschy | José "Coffin Joe" MarinsÀ Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma
xDonald Pleasence | John CarradinePhenomena
xClint Howard | Michael BerrymanThe Wraith
xBill Moseley | Keith DavidThe Thing
xDick Miller | David WarnerCast a Deadly Spell
xUdo Kier | Barbara SteeleShadow of the Vampire
xTony Todd | Brad DourifHatchet
xLinnea Quigley | Debbie RochonNight of the Demons
Watch films in at least two languages other than English:
xFirst language, JapaneseChakushin ari
xSecond language, CzechSéance
xThird language, FrenchIls
xFourth language, SpanishMirindas asesinas
xFifth language, PortugueseÀ Meia-Noite Levarei Sua Alma
xSixth language, KoreanJanghwa, Hongryeon
Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
xVampireLet Me In
xFrankensteinAbbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
xWerewolfGinger Snaps
xMummyBubba Ho-Tep
xGhost/hauntingThe Haunting of Julia
xWitchcraft/satanic/religiousHouse of the Devil
xZombieZombie Movie
xSlasher/psycho/homicidal maniacHatchet
xMonster/creature feature/GodzillaEquinox
xDocumentaryZombiemania
xMusicalAttack of the Killer Tomatoes!
xSpoof/comedyThe Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
xRevengeIrréversible
xKiller/evil dollThe X-Files: "Chinga"
xKiller/evil animalBurning Bright
xKiller/evil childKill and Go Hide
xGialloPhenomena
xJ horrorChakushin ari
xMST3K/rifftrax/CTLaserblast
xfilm and its remakeNosferatu (1922/1979)
xbased on a novelPaperhouse
xdirected by Fred Olen Ray | Frank Henenlotter | Ti WestHouse of the Devil
xwon an Academy AwardWallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
xsilent filmBarbe-bleue
xCriterion version filmCarnival of Souls
xwith commentaryHalloween
xfilm and at least two of its sequelsPoltergeist 1-3
xanthology filmCat's Eye
xappears on video nasties listDay of the Woman
xhosted by ElviraKill and Go Hide
xtakes place on a holidayP2
xtakes place in spaceScreamers
xtakes place on or under the seaTriangle
xanimated filmAlma
xcalled "Day of…"Day of the Woman
xcalled "Night of…"Night of the Creeps
xcalled "Return of…"Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
xcalled "Revenge of…"Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
xcalled "Attack of…"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!
xwith the words "Living Dead" in the titleThe Living Dead at Manchester Morgue


Wrap-up:
- Final total: 109. (Up from 95 in 2009.)
- Checklist completed.
- First time viewings (as counted above): 92/109 = 84%

Last edited by alyxstarr; 11-06-10 at 08:54 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:42 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

10/1
(1) The Last Man on Earth (1964) Vincent Price. About the last man on earth that hasn't been infected with a universal virus that turns you into a zombie after it kills you. I liked it until the ending. 7/10
(2) Resident Evil- Extinction (2007) Milla Jovovich. A lethal virus ( again with the virus ) spreads throughout the earth causing flesh eating zombies and Milla and the gang are in charge of fighting them off. 8/10

10/2
(3) Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1970) Peter Cushing. I couldn't get into this version of Frankenstein. Although watching Veronica Carlson for 90 min. isn't a bad thing. The story was typical and altogether not that bad. I just didn't approve of the Frankenstein monster. 6/10
(4) Blade (1998?) Wesley Snipes. Good comic book adaption here. One of the best. Snipes plays a Vampire Hunter who is part vampire himself. Lots of action and the movie is never boring. A good fitting role for Snipes, has to be one of my favorite movie characters.It's so good they made 3 of them. I will be getting to the other two later in the month probably, but not in a row. 8/10

10/3
(5) The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) Don knotts. I decided to throw in a lighter tale among all of the horror. A nerdy newspaper man spends the night in a haunted house. Good light comedy in the classic 60's style. 8/10
(6) Constantine (20005) Keanu Reeves. Intresting movie about a demon hunter trying to help out a detective who lost her sister to hell. 8/10

10/4
(7) The Bloody Judge (1970) Christopher Lee. Lee plays a maniac court judge from the 17th century that sentences witches and other people who oppose him to the torture chamber and then to death. Not great, couldn't find a good story line. 6/10

10/5
(8) Brides of Dracula (1960) Peter Cushing. The count is dead! But his desiples live on. Cool version of the Dracula theme taking place at a boarding school for girls. one of the best ones, I think. Although the ending is less than be desired. 8/10

10/6
(9) Evil of Frankenstein (1963) Peter Cushing. Another story covering the Frankenstein theme. This one includes a mute girl and a hypnotist.Ok, nothing great. 7/10
(10) From Hell (2001) Johnny Depp. Film centering around the Jack the Ripper theme. Very dark, moody, gothic. I like Depp when he plays in roles like this. 9/10

10/7
(11) The Burbs (1989) Tom Hanks. Light comedy concerning a group of people that just moved in next door to Ray (Hanks) and their evil going's- on 7/10
(12) Blade- house of Chthon (2005) TV movie spin off of the Blade theme. This Blade character does his best Snipes impression but doesn't pull it off. Both him and the Whistler character are shells of their former actors. As the woman lead steals the show. After all not a totally terrible movie but nothing great here 5/10

10/8
(13) Fall of the House of Usher (1960) Vincent Price. Classic Poe tale about a secluded man who buries his sister alive to keep her from leaving with her fiance, or so it seems she was buried alive. Good old fashioned, although slow at times, horror 8/10
(14) Lemora tale of the Supernatural (1975) Tale about a girl who runs away from home and gets involved with some shady characters. I wasn't thrilled with this one. I waited a long time to buy this and i wasn't thrilled at all. It wasn't terrible just didn't catch me. 5/10

10/9
(15) Horror of Dracula. (1958) Christopher lee. The first Hammer Dracula film and the best. I have seen this many times over the years and I'll see it many more .Never disappoints. 9/10

10/11
(16) The Wolfman (1941) Lon Chaney Jr. Excellent old tale about a man who turns into a werewolf after being bitten. The favorite of mine from the Univeresal horror collection. 9/10
(17) Silent Hill (2006) Story about a woman who travels to hell to find her lost daughter. Not great, but had a few spooky scenes but then again I watched it off of the Scy Fy channel. 6/10

10/12
(18) Brahm Stokers Dracula (1992) Anthony Hopkins. Good tale along the Stoker Dracula theme. I have always liked this one. 9/10
(19) The Omega Man (1971) Charlton Heston. Kind of a sci-fi horror but not a scary movie at all. Following on the i am legend book theme. I didn't care too much for this one 4/10

10/13
(20) Masque of the Red Death (1964) Vincent Price. Poe story about a prince who saves some (and not other ) people from the red death. One of the better Poe films. 8/10
(21) Phantasm (1979) Great movie about aliens at a funeral home. This is an all-time classic. 9/10

10/14
(22) The Wolfman (2010) Anthony Hopkins. Remake, kind of, of the classic universal wolfman movie from 1941. I thought it was fine. One particular part that I really hated that had nothing to do with the movie soured me a bit. But overall not bad, it has re-watchablilty for me. 8/10

10/15
(23) American Psycho (2000) Christian Bale. Story about an 80's wall street murdering psycho. Uneven , comical at times. Has a bit of everything. 8/10
(24) Incident On and Off a Mountain Road. From the Masters of Horror set. These little one hour stories came out a few years ago so i decided to take a shot on one of them. It was ok. 7/10
(25) The Faculty (1999) Josh Hartnet. Neat sci-fi horror about aliens taking over a school and then the town. This was one of the first DVD's that I had ever bought so it was nice to re-visit this thanks to the challenge. 8.5/10

10/18
(26) They Live (1988) Roddy Piper. Great sci-fi semi-horror here. I got to see this when it first came out in the theatres and I loved it back then too. Neat story about aliens ( who else? ) taking over the planet. A good role for Roddy Piper the ex ( I think ) wrestler. Always nice to re-visit this one. 9/10

10/19
(27) An American werewolf in London (1981) Cool werewolf movie about a man being bitten in London. 9/10
(28) Cloverfield (2008) Story about a monster destroying Manhattan. Reminded me a bit of Godzilla. The hand held camera was different, although scrambly at times but ok. 8/10
(29) The Wicker Man.( 1973 ) Christopher Lee. A policeman travels to Scotland to investigate a missing person and gets involved in some terrible results.7/10

10/21
(30) Night of the Demons (2009) Shannon Elizabeth. Remake of the original Night of the Demons 1988 movie. This had mixed reviews from other reviewers but I just loved it. Has a bit of everything. I liked the musical score too which just added to the film, I kicked up the volume another notch or two. 9/10
(31) Night of the Demons (1988) The original. It was good, kind of cheesy in parts. Kids hold a halloween party in an old house 7/10
(32) Nightmare Castle (1965) Barbara Steele. Erie dark castle movie with a dark italian gothic setting. I thought this would of been better than what it was. But it was ok. 7/10
(33) Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) Christopher Lee. I couldn't go on too much longer without getting in a Hammer title. No Peter Cushing here but typical Hammer Dracula story. 7/10

10/22
(34) Dracula (1931) Bela Lugosi. The original Universal Dracula that started it all. Very much out dated now but still has a purpose. 8/10
(35) Psycho (1960) Anthony perkins. The original bluray is fantastic. I haven't seen this movie straight through before. It's excellent for it's time. 9/10

10/23
(36) Wrong Turn 2 (2007) Henry Rollins. Six actors go to West Virginia to film a show and run into some shady characters. I watched this off of Scy Fy channel so most likely it was censored although there was a lot of gore left for TV. 7/10

10/24
(37) Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007) Spin off of House on Haunted Hill remake. It was ok, at least it was watchable. But not better than the first two. 7/10

10/25
(38) Faust- love of the Dammed. (2004) A man sells his soul to the devil and pleads to be released. 6/10
(39) Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Creature feature from the 50's. Pretty good considering the time that this was produced. 8/10

10/26
(40) Shadow of the Vampire. (2001) Willem Dafoe. Great adaption of a vampire movie. What if a producer got an actual vampire to play Max Shrek who played a vampire in the movie Nosferatu? What a great movie one of my favorites. 10/10
(41) Outpost (2007) Ray Stevenson. creepy film concerning a group of mercenaries who are recruited to go to an old abandoned ( or so they thought ) German WWII army bunker where scientific experiments took place during the war. Excellent. 10/10
(42) The Changeling. (1980) George C. Scott. A man loses his family in an auto accident and later relocates to a haunted house. Very 70ish looking. 7/10

10/27
(43) Blade II (2002) Wesley Snipes. Blade gets recruited ( or does he?) to fight a new species of vampires. I didn't like this one as much as the first one. It was ok though. 7/10
(44) Slaughter of the Vampires (1970) Neat Italian Gothic horror about a vampire living in a wine cellar and turning his victims. It loses a bit of luster after all of the female vampires are killed off, but still works. 8/10
(45) Tremors (1990) Kevin Bacon. A swarm of mutant underground worm-like creatures attack a western town. This has been on network TV many times over the years. It's a fun movie. 7/10
(46) Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (1994) Robert Di Nero. The most hideous looking Frankenstein that i've seen yet. Nice movie but needs a makeover edition in widescreen. 9/10

10/28
(47) The Haunted Palace.(1963) Vincent Price. My favorite Corman-Poe-Price film. Very haunting in the old fashioned way. This film takes me back to those old Fright Night days. A man inherits a castle and is possessed by his warlock ancestor from centuries earlier. A great all-star cast and haunting theme music. I also love the Poe quotes at the end of these films. 9/10
(48) House of Wax (1953) Vincent Price. A man loses his wax figure business to a fire and then rebuilds using live models. 9/10

10/29
(49) The howling.(1981) Dee Wallace. A TV reporter gets involved with a werewolf cult. An old classic that i have seen many times before. 9/10
(50) Psycho IV-The beginning (1990) Anthony Perkins. Movie that shows the early years of norman Bates. How he developed his insanity. I like this one. 9/10
(51) Ghost Ship (2002) Ron Eldrad. A group of boat salvagers explore a long lost ocean liner. Cool Movie. 9/10

10/30
(52) Horror of Frankenstein (1971) Ralph Bates. Neat play on the Frankenstein theme from Hammer. Complete with all of the Hammer Glamour. I really like this movie a lot, although it's really not a seriously played horror film. 9/10
(53) Demons of the Mind (1974) Shane Bryant. Hammer Film that i'm not quite sure what has taken place. A 19th century village endures a murder and the story goes on about a brother and sister that are both taken captive in a castle. Other than that, I was lost. 4/10

10/31
(54) The Ring.(2002) Naomi Watts. Great movie about a video tape that after you watch it you have 7 days to live. creepy 9/10
(55) The Incredible Two Headed Transplant (1972) Pat Priest. Horrible, terrible movie that I bought a few years ago because i remember watching this on those Saturday afternoon Dr. Shock horror fests of the old days. Also wanted to see Pat Priest out of her Munster role. 4/10
(56) Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) Peter Cushing. Finished off the challenge with Peter Cushing this year. Love those Hammer Frankenstein movies. 8/10

Last edited by JOE29; 10-31-10 at 09:13 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 08:54 PM
  #18  
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

Horror Month 2010!
First time viewings in bold.
Goal: 120




10/01:
 
  { 1 } Nosferatu (1922)
  { 2 } The Forsaken (2001) ★★★☆☆
  { 3 } The Manster (1959) ★★★☆☆

10/02:
 
  { 4 } Return of the Fly (1959) ★★★★☆
  { 5 } The Return (2006) ★★☆☆☆
  { 6 } The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) ★★★★★
  { 7 } Horror of Dracula (1958) ★★★★☆

10/03:
 
  { 8 } School Ghost (2010) [귀鬼] ★★★☆☆
  { 9 } Orphan (2009) ★★★★★
  { 10 } Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) Original Japanese Cut

10/04:
 
  { 11 } Cube²: Hypercube (2002) with Commentary by Ernie Barbarash & Mark Sanders
  { 12 } The Quiet Family (1998) [조용한 가족] ★★☆☆☆
  { 13 } The Brides of Dracula (1960) ★★★☆☆
  { 14 } Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) Original Japanese Cut

10/05:
 
  { 15 } Cube Zero (2004) with Commentary by Ernie Barbarash
  { 16 } Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966) ★★☆☆☆
  { 17 } Paranormal Activity (2007) ★★★★★
  { 18 } Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) ★★★☆☆

10/06:
 
  { 19 } Psychomania (1973) ★★★★☆
  { 20 } King Kong (1976)

10/07:
 
  { 21 } Saw V (2008) ★★★☆☆
  { 22 } Saw VI (2009) ★★★★☆
  { 23 } Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon (2008) ★☆☆☆☆
  { 24 } Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) Blu-ray
  { 25 } The Grudge (2004) Blu-ray Japan Theatrical Cut
  { 26 } Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming (2007) ★★★☆☆

10/08:
 
  { 27 } Ghost Taxi (2000) [공포택시] ★★★★★
  { 28 } The Last Man on Earth (1964) ★★★★★
  { 29 } Love Bites (1993) ★★★★☆
  { 30 } The Haunted Palace (1963) ★★★★☆

10/09:
 
  { 31 } Hostel: Part II (2007) ★★★★★
  { 32 } The Masque of the Red Death (1964) ★★★☆☆

10/10:
 
  { 33 } Daughters of Satan (1972) ★★☆☆☆
  { 34 } King Kong (2005) The Extended Cut with Commentary by Peter Jackson & Philippa Boyens
  { 35 } The Plague of the Zombies (1966) ★★☆☆☆

Columbus Day:
 
  { 36 } Phone (2002) [폰]
  { 37 } The Devil's Bride (1968) ★★★★☆
  { 38 } Beyond Re-Animator (2003) ★★☆☆☆

10/12:
 
  { 39 } Bedlam (1946) with Commentary by Tom Weaver
  { 40 } The Body Snatcher (1945) with Commentary by Robert Wise & Steve Haberman
  { 41 } I Walked with a Zombie (1943) with Commentary by Kim Newman & Steve Jones

10/13:
 
  { 42 } Broken Lizard's Club Dread (2004) ★★★☆☆
  { 43 } The Reptile (1966) ★★★☆☆
  { 44 } The Gorgon (1964)

10/14:
 
  { 45 } Child's Play (1988) with Commentary by Tom Holland & Tim Sullivan
  { 46 } The Wolfman (2010) Unrated Cut Blu-ray ★★★☆☆
  { 47 } Shutter (2008) Unrated Cut Blu-ray with Commentary by Alex Sundell, Luke Dawson & Rachael Taylor
  { 48 } Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) ★★★☆☆

10/15:
 
  { 49 } The Fly (1986) ★★★☆☆
  { 50 } The Prophecy II (1998) ★★★★☆
  { 51 } Let's Kill Uncle (1966) ★★★★☆
  { 52 } The Green Slime (1968) ★★☆☆☆

10/16:
 
  { 53 } Dark Mirror (2007) ★★★☆☆
  { 54 } The Fox Family (2006) [구미호가족] ★★★☆☆
  { 55 } The Mummy (1959) ★★★★★

10/17:
 
  { 56 } Snakes on a Plane (2006) with Commentary by Samuel L. Jackson & Other Cast and Crew
  { 57 } The Secret (2007) ★★★☆☆
  { 58 } The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) ★★★★☆

10/18:
 
  { 59 } The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) ★★★☆☆
  { 60 } Ghost Voyage (2008) ★★★☆☆

10/19:
 
  { 61 } Alien (1979)
  { 62 } Amityville II: The Possession (1982) ★★★☆☆
  { 63 } The Mummy's Shroud (1967) ★★★☆☆

10/20:
 
  { 64 } Amityville 3-D (1983) ★★★★☆
  { 65 } Curse of the Blair Witch (1999) Blu-ray ★★★☆☆
  { 66 } The Raven (1963) ★★★★★
  { 67 } Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971) ★☆☆☆☆

10/21:
 
  { 68 } The Blair Witch Project (1999) Blu-ray with Commentary by Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez & Other Crew
  { 69 } Open Water (2003) Blu-ray with Commentary by Chris Kentis & Laura Lau
  { 70 } Marebito (2004) ★★★★☆

10/22:
 
  { 71 } The Haunting in Connecticut (2009) ★☆☆☆☆
  { 72 } Vampire's Kiss (1988) ★★☆☆☆
  { 73 } My Name Is Bruce (2007) ★★★☆☆

10/23:
 
  { 74 } Count Dracula's Great Love (1972) Elvira's Movie Macabre ★★★☆☆ Recommended by SterlingBen
  { 75 } Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) ★☆☆☆☆
  { 76 } Jaws 3-D (1983)

10/24:
 
  { 77 } Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) ★★★☆☆
  { 78 } At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964) ★★★★☆

10/25:
 
  { 79 } The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010) ★★★★☆
  { 80 } Vampyr (1932)
  { 81 } My Super Psycho Sweet 16 (2009) ★★★★☆
  { 82 } My Super Psycho Sweet 16 2 (2010) ★★★☆☆

10/26:
 
  { 83 } Awakening of the Beast (1970) ★★★★★
  { 84 } Rise: Blood Hunter (2007) ★★★★☆
  { 85 } Slaughter of the Vampires (1962) ★★☆☆☆

10/27:
 
  { 86 } House on Haunted Hill (1999) ★★★☆☆
  { 87 } Open Water 2: Adrift (2006) Blu-ray ★★☆☆☆
  { 88 } X: The Unknown (1956) ★★★☆☆
  { 89 } Five Million Years To Earth (1968) ★★★☆☆

10/28:
 
  { 90 } Captivity (2007) ★★★★☆
  { 91 } The Werewolf of Washington (1973) Elvira's Movie Macabre ★★★★★

10/29:
 
  { 92 } Aliens (1986) ★★★★☆
  { 93 } These Are the Damned (1963) ★★☆☆☆
  { 94 } Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007) ★☆☆☆☆

10/30:
 
  { 95 } Monsters (2010) ★★★★★
  { 96 } The Stranglers of Bombay (1960) ★★☆☆☆
  { 97 } A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989) ★★★☆☆
  { 98 } The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) ★★★★☆
  { 99 } The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)

Halloween:
 
  { 100 } Red: Werewolf Hunter (2010) ★★★☆☆
  { 101 } Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) ★★★★☆
  { 102 } Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) ★★★☆☆
  { 103 } The Grudge 3 (2009) ★★★★☆
  { 104 } Memento Mori (1999) [여고괴담 두번째 이야기] Unedited & Unseen Cut
  { 105 } Nightmares (1983)


The End!


Grand Total: 105 (Goal: 120 / Previous Challenge Total: 150)
First Time Viewings: 80
Commentaries: 11
Blu-ray: 8
DVD: 19
TV: 70
Internet Streaming/Download: 8

The Checklist:
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 -
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
-x- 1920 - Nosferatu (1922)
-x- 1930 - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
-x- 1940 - Bedlam (1946)
-x- 1950 - The Manster (1959)
-x- 1960 - The Brides of Dracula (1960)
-x- 1970 - Psychomania (1973)
-x- 1980 - Child's Play (1988)
-x- 1990 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
-x- 2000 - The Forsaken (2001)
-x- 2010 - School Ghost (2010)

Watch a film for each rating:
-x- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - Nosferatu (1922)
-x- G - Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
-x- PG - King Kong (1976)
-x- PG-13 - The Return (2006)
-x- R - The Forsaken (2001)
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
-x- Unrated (post-MPAA) - The Wolfman (2010)

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-x- First format, DVD, Orphan (2009)
-x- Second format, Blu-ray, The Grudge (2004)
-x- Third format, Online Streaming, Nosferatu (1922)

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange -
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
-x- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins - At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964)
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
--- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
-x- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - Child's Play (1988)
-x- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon - Vampire's Kiss (1988)

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-x- First language, Korean, Memento Mori (1999)
-x- Second language, Portuguese, Awakening of the Beast (1970)

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-x- Vampire - Nosferatu (1922)
-x- Frankenstein - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
-x- Werewolf - The Wolfman (2010)
-x- Mummy - The Mummy (1959)
-x- Ghost/haunting - Paranormal Activity (2007)
-x- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - The Blair Witch Project (1999)
-x- Zombie - The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
-x- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - My Super Psycho Sweet 16 (2009)
-x- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Monsters (2010)
-x- Documentary - Curse of the Blair Witch (1999)
-x- Musical - The Fox Family (2006)
-x- Spoof/comedy - Love Bites (1993)
-x- Revenge - The Return (2006)
-x- Killer/evil doll - Child's Play (1988)
-x- Killer/evil animal - Jaws 3-D (1983)
-x- Killer/evil child - Phone (2002)
--- Giallo -
-x- J horror - Marebito (2004)
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
-x- film and its remake - Nosferatu (1922) / Horror of Dracula (1958)
-x- based on a novel - Nosferatu (1922)
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
-x- won an Academy Award -- any category - King Kong (2005)
-x- silent film - Nosferatu (1922)
--- Criterion version film -
-x- with commentary - Cube²: Hypercube (2002)
-x- film and at least two of its sequels - The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) / The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) / Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
-x- anthology film - Nightmares (1983)
--- appears on video nasties list -
-x- hosted by Elvira - Count Dracula's Great Love (1972)
-x- takes place on a holiday - Holloween, Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)
-x- takes place in space - The Green Slime (1968)
-x- takes place on or under the sea - Jaws 3-D (1983)
-x- animated film - Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." -
-x- called "Return of ..." - Return of the Fly (1959)
-x- called "Revenge of ..." - The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -


Last edited by josepotato; 11-03-10 at 03:35 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:05 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

GOAL: 25 Total; Watch the first 2 seasons of Dexter

*First Time Viewing

1. Vampyr (1932)*: Netflix Streaming. If you are thinking of streaming this from Netflix, you might want to think again. The image quality is very poor. Despite having the Criterion cover, I'm guessing this is a rip from the Image disc. I've looked at photos of the Criterion version online and it looked miles ahead of this. I'm not really sure how I feel about the film. I'm trying to put things in context and it may warrant another viewing. There are interesting moments, but I was generally unimpressed (and I like Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc). 2.5/5

2. Dexter S1E1/S1E2 (2006)*: Netflix Streaming. Great start to the show...great acting by Michael C. Hall. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

3. Dexter S1E3/S1E4 (2006)*: Netflix Streaming. Man, these episodes are long and the "intro/previously on..." covers about 4-5 minutes. Don't get me wrong, I like the intro, but this is one instance where I wish I could easily skip the beginning. A Dexter Halloween episode (#4) was a nice touch for the challenge.

4. Dexter S1E5/S1E6 (2006)*

5. Dexter S1E7/S1E8 (2006)*

6. Dexter S1E9/S1E10 (2006)*

7. Dexter S1E11/S1E12 (2006)* A great series that started a bit slow, but continuously gained momentum throughout the season. Good plot; good acting. 4.5/5

8. Dexter S2E1/S2E2 (2007)*

9. Alien Predator (AKA - The Falling) (1987)*: Netflix Streaming. This film was just awful. Implausibilities, poor acting, and a bad script. I decided to take a mini-break from Dexter and watch something "random" on the instant queue...I'll do more research next time. 1/5
The only redeeming quality was that the conclusion of the film:
Spoiler:
doesn't end as happily as you think it will...and for that, I award a star


10. Dexter S2E3/S2E4 (2007)*

11. Dexter S2E5/S2E6 (2007)*

12. The Evil Dead (1981)*: Netflix Streaming. I really thought I had seen this movie back in the 80s or 90s, but I guess it was some other film. Anyway, despite my distaste for campy films, this one has a good enough balance and Raimi does a good job of letting the imagination take over. It may be a bit overhyped as a film, but it was enjoyable. 3/5

13. Dexter S2E7/S2E8 (2007)*

14. Dexter S2E9/S2E10 (2007)*

15. Dexter S2E11/S2E12 (2007)*

16. Zombieland (2009): It was good to revisit this film. Funny from start to finish and efficient in approach. I checked out some of the extras and it was interesting to find out that it was initially slated to be a TV series and a 1-hour pilot episode. I really think that it could have worked as a series as they could have explored so many different cities, people and "rules." 4.5/5

17. Repulsion (1965)*: Criterion Blu-ray. 3/5

Last edited by CardiffGiant; 10-30-10 at 01:51 AM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:08 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

The month of October has been a blur. Work and other commitments have prevented me from actively participating in the challenge. I've screened many of these titles during the overnight hours, which feels appropriate for horror movies. Also, I attended Spooky Movie 2010: The 5th Annual Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival, the selections of which make up much of this list.

Although I did not begin the Challenge with a number/goal in mind, I hoped to average one feature film per day. I did meet that initially unwritten goal by watching 31 features and several additional shorts.

Title - Format - viewing notes - subgenre (if relevant) - rating (out of 10)

1. Killer Pad - DVD - first time viewing - horror/comedy - 2/10

2. Trash Humpers - Flash Video - third viewing - horror/experimental - 6/10

3. The Mist - Blu-ray - first time viewing B & W version - 8/10

4. Halloween (2007) - Blu-ray - first time viewing BD - horror/remake - 7/10

5. Halloween II (2009) - Blu-ray - I've watched this one a few times - horror/remake/sequel - 6/10

--. "13 Scarier Movie Moments" - TV - first time viewing - clip show - 5/10

6. Until the Light Takes Us - DVD - first time viewing - horror/documentary - 4/10

7. Sorority Row - DVD - I've watched this one more times than I should admit - remake - 8/10

8. Natural Born Killers - DVD - I've watched this one several times - horror/satire - 9/10

9. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - DVD - I watch this one yearly for a class I teach - horror/biography - 8/10

10. Death Valley - DVD - second viewing - 7/10

11. Midnight Movie - Blu-ray - first time viewing - 2/10

12. Cabin Fever 2 - DVD - second viewing - horror/sequel - 4/10

13. Let Me In - Theatrical - first viewing - horror/English language remake - 8/10

14. Dead Set - DVD - first full viewing - horror/TV miniseries/satire - 7/10

--. Trailer Park Boys "Halloween 1977" - DVD - I watch this every year - TV episode (no horror, only Halloween theme) - 8/10

15. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter - TV - horror/sequel - 4/10

--. Martian Precursor -Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. The Long Night - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 7/10

16. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - horror/comedy - 8/10 (surprisingly good)

--. Alice Jacobs is Dead - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. Betania - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 5/10

17. Colin - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - zombie film - 6/10 (I suspect my score would be higher if the film were a short rather than a feature)

18. Broken Springs: Shine of the Undead Zombie Bastards - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - horror/comedy - 3/10

--. Recollection - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 5/10

--. Dracula's Daughters vs. the Space Brains - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 8/10

--. Doppleganger - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/experimental horror - 6/10

--. The Brutalizer - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 5/10

19. El Monstro Del Mar! - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - oz-ploitation - 7/10

--. The Nightmares of Edgar Allan Potato Head - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/horror/comedy - 6/10

--. Hymen - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 2/10

--. Red Badger and Gillman - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

20. The Uh-Oh Show! - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - satire - 2/10 (apologies to the Godfather of Gore, but this was a disappointment)

--. March Hare - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 7/10

21. Everything's Eventual - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - Stephen King adaptation - 6/10

--. Zombies Take the School Yard - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. Seventy Percent - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. The Auburn Hills Breakdown - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/horror/comedy - 8/10

22. The Echo Game - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - 5/10

--. The Necronomicon - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/parody - 9/10

--. After Hours - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/animation - 6/10

--. Twilight Sucks! Emo Vampire Song - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/music video - 5/10 (I think I missed a lot of the humor because I haven't watched or read "Twilight")

23. Every Other Day is Halloween - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - documentary - 8/10

--. Rise of the Appliances - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/satire - 9/10

--. Demi Urge Emesis - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/animation - 8/10

--. The Baby Shredder Song - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short/music video - 8/10

24. Mørke sjeler (Dark Souls) - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - 9/10

--. By Her Hand She Draws You Down - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. Night of the Punks - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. Dinner Date - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. St. Christophorus: Roadkill - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 8/10

25. S&MAN - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - documentary/fiction hybrid - 7/10

--. Written By - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 6/10

--. The Furred Man - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 7/10

--. The Violinist - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - short - 7/10

26. Xin zhong you gui (The Matrimony) - Theatrical/Festival - first viewing - American Premiere - 7/10

27. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers - TV - I've seen this one several times - horror/sequel - 6/10

28. The Broken - DVD - first time viewing - 7/10

29. House on Haunted Hill - Theatrical/Live broadcast - first time viewing colorized version - RiffTrax - 7/10

30. Curtains - DVD -first time viewing - 5/10

31. From Dusk Till Dawn - TV -first time viewing edited TV version - 6/10

Although this total number utterly pales in comparison to most of the other lists, I did meet my goal of averaging one feature film per day. I enjoyed my first Horror Challenge.

Last edited by ThomasB; 11-02-10 at 11:32 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:08 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread




***LIST FINAL***

*--first time viewing

October 1
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (81, Frank De Felitta)*--I know this film has a lot of fans, but it was pretty been-there-done-that for me--3/5
October 2
2. Let Me In (10, Matt Reeves)*--I enjoyed this remake as much as, if not a bit more than, the original. Good performances by the leads, and I liked the cool-looking black-on-white end credits--4/5
3. Grimm Love (06, Martin Weisz)*--Talky cannibal tale, based on a true story. Cannibal chat rooms, who knew?--3/5
4. Frozen (10, Adam Green)*--Edge of your seat thrills (literally), with a couple squirm-inducing scenes--4/5
5. Daughters of Satan (72, Hollingsworth Morse)*--Tom Selleck vs. witches. Some nice use of the Manila setting--3/5
October 3
6. Tales of Terror (62, Roger Corman)*--I've never been a big Poe fan, but this was entertaining enough, with Price and Lorre hamming it up. The last story was the best--3/5
7. Horror of Dracula (58, Terence Fisher)*--My first time watching the Hammer Dracula films (thanks TCM). Fast-paced, with the usual Hammer blood and bosoms--4/5
October 4
8. I Sell the Dead (08, Glenn McQuaid)*--Adventures in body-snatching. Odd mixture of humor and let's-throw-in-lots-of-different-monsters--3/5
October 5
9. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (09, Tom Six)*--Some sick stuff, with a horrifying ending--4/5
October 6
10. Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (77, George Barry)*--"Her eyes remind you of her eyes." For some reason, I kept waiting for Torgo to shuffle his way into this movie--4/5
October 7
11. Nightmares in Red, White and Blue (09, Andrew Monument)*--Ok doc, with lots of good clips--3/5
12. The Brides of Dracula (60, Terence Fisher)*--Van Helsing vs. Notdracula--4/5
October 8
13. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (66, Terence Fisher)*--Had to laugh at the "previously on Dracula" opening credits. Christopher Lee returns as the count in this okay sequel--3/5
14. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (69, Freddie Francis)*--Drac's back, gets involved with a pair of young lovers, and learns how to break a couple of vampire rules--3/5
15. The Final (10, Joey Stewart)*--Heathers meets Saw. Some good acting and a refreshing lack of gore made this better than I expected--4/5
October 9
16. Splice (10, Vincenzo Natali)*--Scientists create a new species. Bad things happen. Pretty predictable--3/5
17. Kill Theory (09, Chris Moore)*--Kids get killed, but with a bit of a twist this time--4/5
18. The Devil's Bride (68, Terence Fisher)*--"He didn't stay long, did he?" Christopher Lee fights Satanists. A bit of humor, and a couple of very scary scenes--4/5
October 10
19. The Gorgon (64, Terence Fisher)*--Christopher Lee has a couple of good scenes, but otherwise this was a really long 80 minutes--3/5
20. Cameron's Closet (89, Armand Mastroianni)*--The least entertaining film so far this challenge, cheap-looking all-around--2/5
October 11
21. Day of the Dead 2: Contagium (05, James Dudelson & Ana Clavell)*--Awful in-name-only sequel, even worse than I expected--1/5
October 12
22. Doghouse (09, Jake West)*--British zombie comedy with some good laughs--4/5
October 13
23. Lake Mungo (08, Joel Anderson)*--Aussie ghost "documentary." More melodrama than scares--3/5
October 15
24. A Nightmare on Elm Street (10, Samuel Bayer)*--About what I expected: another remake with nothing new to add. The new Freddy makeup reminded me of Ron Perlman in the Beauty and the Beast tv series, and kept pulling me out of the movie--3/5
October 16
25. The Morgue (07, Halder Gomes & Gerson Sanginitto)*--A lot of wandering around in the dark. Not a lot of sense, until the "twist" ending, when it mostly comes together--3/5
26. The Graves (09, Brian Pulido)*--Two sisters visit a freaky small town ruled by Reverend Tony Todd--3/5
27. Night of the Creeps (86, Fred Dekker)*--"Thrill me." A lot to like in this B-movie homage. Tom Atkins steals the show, and the introduction to his character is classic--4/5
October 17
28. The Reeds (09, Nick Cohen)*--Strange--3/5
29. Deep Blue Sea (99, Renny Harlin)*--The real Megashark--4/5
October 18
30. The Mummy (59, Terence Fisher)*--Talky Hammer remake--3/5
October 19
31. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (64, Michael Carreras)*--A brash American showman, a love triangle, some wacky comic relief. Oh yeah, and a mummy. And just how does the mummy know where to find his victims in these movies?--3/5
October 20
32. Garuda (04, Monthon Arayangkoon)*--"Shit! What a bloody big bird!" And it's pissed after being woken from hibernation. Some good stuff once the monster finally gets loose, plus gratuitous slo-mo direction, and nods to King Kong and The Matrix--3/5
October 21
33. Giallo (09, Dario Argento)*--It's no Profondo Rosso, but I liked this better than Argento's last couple of thrillers--3/5
October 22
34. Assault of the Sasquatch (09, Andrew Gernhard)*--"She's smart. She's sexy. She's smexy." Yes, a charcter in the movie actually said this. Amateurish in every way, and the new frontrunner for this challenge's worst movie. Featuring the two most annoying nerds in movie history--1/5
October 23
35. Zombies of Mass Destruction (09, Kevin Hamedani)*--Lots of blood, guts and social satire; some good, some not-so-good--3/5
36. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (71, Seth Holt)*--More revenge and reincarnation, this time with a hot (and bandage-free) female mummy. Cool final scene--3/5
37. The Boogens (82, James L. Conway)*--A cute dog stars. The Boogens, when finally seen, disappoint--3/5
October 24
38. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (23, Wallace Worsley)*--Lon Chaney is amazing, and some of the scenes are specacular. A bit long, though--4/5
39. Phantoms (98, Joe Chappell)*--Some eerie scenes as two sisters find a deserted small town--4/5
40. Vengeance of the Dead (01, Don Adams and Harry James Pacardi)*--I don't even remember buying this crap. At least it was only 72 minutes, and another one I can get rid of--2/5
41. Vampire Effect (03, Dante Lam)*--Lots of good vampire-fu action--4/5
October 25
42. I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle (90, Dirk Campbell)*--Silly fun, that doesn't take itself at all serious--4/5
October 26
43. House (77, Nobuhiko Obayashi)*--"Huge lips!" I'm exhausted after watching this, there was so much going on. One crazy movie--4/5
October 27
44. Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (09, Yoshihiro Nishimura and Naoyuki Tomomatsu)*--More Japanese craziness, with blood and body parts galore--3/5
October 28
45. Modern Family: "Halloween" / Dead Set: "Episode 1" / Dead Set: "Episode 2"
46. Love Object (03, Robert Parigi)*--Man. Doll. Obsession--3/5
October 29
47. Fabled (02, Ari Kirshenbaum)*--Dude thinks he's being followed, as a child's voiceover reads a fairy tale about a wolf and a crow. Didn't really get this one--2/5
October 31
48. Living Hell (00, Shugo Fujii)*--Craziness and overacting run in this family--3/5
49. Session 9 (01, Brad Anderson)*--Why do people still insist in wandering around abandoned hospitals? Nothing good ever comes of it--3/5
50. The Devil Doll (36, Tod Browning)*--Still-impressive special effects as a scientist shrinks people to doll-size--4/5
51. (Rec) (07, Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza)*--A few good scares in my final film of the challenge--4/5


tv temp:
Dead Set: "Episode 3" / Dead Set: "Episode 4" / Dead Set: "Episode 5"







Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
-x- 1920 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (23)
-x- 1930 - The Devil Doll (36)
--- 1940 -
-x- 1950 - Horror of Dracula (58)
-x- 1960 - Tales of Terror (62)
-x- 1970 - Daughters of Satan (72)
-x- 1980 - Dark Night of the Scarecrow (81)
-x- 1990 - Deep Blue Sea (99)
-x- 2000 - Grimm Love (06)
-x- 2010 - Let Me In (10)

Watch a film for each rating:
-x- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - Tales of Terror
-x- G - Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
-x- PG - Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
--- PG-13 -
-x- R - Let Me In
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
-x- Unrated (post-MPAA) - The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-x- First format - Dark Night of the Scarecrow (DVD)
-x- Second format- Let Me In (theater)
-x- Third format - Daughters of Satan (DVR)

Watch a film starring:
-x- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - Tales of Terror
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
-x- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David - The Graves
-x- Dick Miller -or- David Warner - Night of the Creeps
-x- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - Love Object
-x- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - The Graves
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-x- First language - Garuda (Thai)
-x- Second language - Vampire Effect (Cantonese)

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-x- Vampire - Let Me In
--- Frankenstein -
--- Werewolf -
-x- Mummy - The Mummy
-x- Ghost/haunting - Lake Mungo
-x- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Daughters of Satan
-x- Zombie - Day of the Dead 2: Contagium
-x- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Kill Theory
-x- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Garuda
-x- Documentary - Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
--- Musical -
-x- Spoof/comedy - Doghouse
-x- Revenge - Dark Night of the Scarecrow
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
--- Killer/evil child -
-x- Giallo - Giallo
-x- J horror - House
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
--- film and its remake -
-x- based on a novel - Let Me In
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
--- won an Academy Award -- any category -
-x- silent film - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
-x- Criterion version film - House
--- with commentary -
-x- film and at least two of its sequels - Horror of Dracula / The Brides of Dracula / Dracula, Prince of Darkness / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
-x- anthology film - Tales of Terror
--- appears on video nasties list -
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday -
--- takes place in space -
-x- takes place on or under the sea - Deep Blue Sea
--- animated film -
-x- called "Day of ..." - Day of the Dead 2: Contagium
-x- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Creeps
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -

Last edited by zaphod2467; 11-06-10 at 12:15 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:12 PM
  #22  
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

The 2010 Horror Movie Challenge!





10/1:
1. Vampyr (1932)
2. The Blob (1958) (with commentary)
3. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
4. Warlock (1989) *
5. The Deadly Spawn (1983) *
6. Madhouse (1982) *
7. Tremors (1990) *
10/2:
8. The Omen (1976)
9. Nightbreed (1990) *
10. The Being (1981) *
11. My Bloody Valentine (2009) *
12. Nightmare Maker (1981) *
10/3:
13. Pumpkinhead (1989) *
14. The Stuff (1985) *
15. Deadly Blessing (1981) *
16. The Howling (1981)
10/4:
17. Night of the Creeps (1986)
18. The Slayer (1982) *
19. Cujo (1981)
20. Friday the 13th (1980)
10/5:
21. Videodrome (1983)
22. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
23. Drag Me to Hell (2009) *
10/6:
24. It's Alive (1974) (with commentary)
25. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
26. The Evil Dead (1981)
27. Monster Dog (1984) *
28. Slither (2006)
10/7:
29. Dead of Night (1945)
30. The Queen of Spades (1949)
31. Vampire Circus (1972) *
10/11:
32. A Nightmare on Elm St Part II: Freddy's Revenge (1986)
33. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
34. The Mist (2007) *
10/12:
35. Prince of Darkness (1987)
36. Superstition (1982) *
37. Nightwing (1979) *
10/13:
38. Forbidden World (1982)
39. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part III: Dream Warriors (1987)
40. Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1984)
10/14:
41. The Lost Boys (1987)
42. Trick 'r Treat (2007) *
43. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
10/15:
44. Shivers (1975)
45. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part IV: The Dream Master (1988)
46. Special Effects (1984) *
10/16:
47. Alien (1979)
48. Galaxy of Terror (1981)
10/17:
49. Delicatessen (1991)
10/18:
50. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part V: The Dream Child (1989)
51. The Crazies (2010)
52. House of the Devil (2009)
53. Madman (1982) *
10/19:
54. Tourist Trap (with commentary) (1979)
55. The Fly (1986)
56. Repulsion (1965)
10/20:
57. The Wolfman (2010) *
58. Night of the Demons (1988) *
59. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part VI: Freddy's Dead (1991)
10/21:
60. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
61. Open House (1987) *
10/22:
62. Maniac Cop (1988) *
63. Creepshow (1982)
64. Humanoids from the Deep (1980)
10/23:
65. New Nightmare (1994)
66. Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2009) *
67. The Evictors (1979) *
68. Starcrash (1978)
69. The Devil Rides Out (1968)
70. The Witch Who Came in From the Sea (1974) *
10/25:
71. The Mutilator (1985) *
10/26:
72. Alone in the Dark (1982) *
73. The Carrier (1988) *
74. Maniac Cop 2 (1990) *
75. The Video Dead (1989) *
76. The Boogens (1981) *
10/27:
77. The Others (2001) *
78. Paranormal Activity (2009) *
10/28:
79. The Gorgon (1964) *
80. Maniac (1980) *
81. The Thing (1982)
10/29:
82. The Unseen (1981) *
83. Frozen (2010) *
84. Planet Terror (2007)
85. Scream 2 (1997)
86. The Vampire Lovers (1971) *
10/30:
87. The Exorcist (1973)
88. Horror of Dracula (1958) *
89. A Nightmare on Elm St (2010) *
90. Friday the 13 Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
91. Psycho (1960)
92. Ed Wood (1994)
93. Halloween (1978)
10/31:
94. The Shining (1980)
95. Halloween II (1981)
96. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
97. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
98. The Children (2008) *
99. Scream 3 (2000)
100. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

* First Viewing (42)
Hi-Def Broadcast
Blu-ray

HD-DVD
Wild Card

Checklist:
Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 - Vampyr
--- 1940 - Dead of Night
--- 1950 - The Blob
--- 1960 - Jason and the Argonauts
--- 1970 - The Omen
--- 1980 - Warlock
--- 1990 - Tremors
--- 2000 - My Bloody Valentine
--- 2010 - Crazies

Watch a film for each rating:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - Vampyr
--- G - [B]Jason and the Argonauts
--- PG - Tourist Trap[/B]
--- PG-13 - Tremors
--- R - The Omen
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
--- Unrated (post-MPAA) - Madhouse

Watch films in at least three formats
--- DVD, (Vampyr).
--- Blu-ray, (Jason and the Argonauts).
--- HD-DVD, Tremors

Watch a film starring:

--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
--- John Saxon - A Nightmare on Elm Street
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- John Carradine - The Howling
--- Michael Berryman - Deadly Blessing
--- Keith David - The Thing
--- Dick Miller - The Howling
--- Barbara Steele - Shivers
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley - Return of the Living Dead

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- German, Vampyr.
--- Second language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
--- Vampire - Vampyr
--- Frankenstein -
--- Werewolf - The Howling
--- Mummy -
--- Ghost/haunting - The Others
--- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Warlock
--- Zombie - Night of the Creeps
--- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Madhouse
--- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - The Deadly Spawn
--- Documentary - Never Sleep Again
--- Musical -
--- Spoof/comedy - Night of the Creeps
--- Revenge - Drag Me to Hell
--- Killer/evil doll - Dead of Night
--- Killer/evil animal - Cujo
--- Killer/evil child - The Omen
--- Giallo -
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
--- film and its remake - A Nightmare on Elm Street
--- based on a novel - The Omen
--- directed by Ti West - House of the Devil
--- won an Academy Award -- The Omen (Score, Jerry Goldsmith)
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film - Vampyr
--- with commentary - The Blob
--- film and at least two of its sequels - Friday the 13th I-III, V, VI
--- anthology film - Dead of Night
--- appears on video nasties list - The Witch...
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday - Trick 'r Treat
--- takes place in space - Forbidden World
--- takes place on or under the sea - Humanoids from the Deep
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." - The Creeps
--- called "Return of ..." - the Living Dead
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - Return of the Living Dead

Last edited by NoirFan; 11-02-10 at 01:08 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:12 PM
  #23  
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread

I haven't been able to participate in the last year or two but I'm going to try and watch some horror films this year - probably a small list compared to previous attempts.

October 1st
1. Don't Look Now
I've seen this film a few times now. I thought it would be a good one to kick off this year because my wife had never watched it. We recently were watching the Britcom 'Absolutely Fabulous' and there was a 'parody' of the final reveal scene which was a hoot to watch - this movie, not so much. I tend to find it a bit slow in the middle and the sex scene is more repulsive to watch rather than titillating or romantic. I really like the premise and the location which is why I keep trying to like it, but the amount of effort it takes just isn't worth it to me.

2. The Beast of Yucca Flats (MST3K)
Tor Johnson has a strange magnetism that makes him immensely watchable even when the film itself has no redeeming value in its very existence. It's been many years since I've watched this one - I think it is the title and Tor that keeps me coming back. I just forget how dull it is - the lack of proper sound sync and the poor man's Dragnet narrator really bug me when I watch this one.


October 2nd
3. Horsemen
Another biblical prophesy movie. I thought this one might have potential with Dennis Quaid and Ziyi Zhang in it - the production values were better than most of these kinds of movies, but the acting and plot let me down big time. Not horrible, but nothing special either.
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
I tried watching this film way way back when I was a kid. Being a sensitive boy, I got freaked out so much when Donald Sutherland starts taking a shovel to the heads of the duplicate bodies that I couldn't finish it then and this is the first time I've seen it all the way through. It's a pretty good film and I think the acting is overall better than the original although I do like the first film's red scare subtext.
5. Zombieland
Hilarious - love the concept of taking an Internet pasttime of making a list of rules on surviving the Zombie Apocalypse and turning it into a movie.
6. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant
I don't understand the tender ballad that closes this film nor do I understand the porntastic soundtrack that plays for the first half of the film.
7. The Thing With Two Heads
Boring. The cop chase seemed to last half the movie and it wasn't that interesting to watch to begin with

October 3rd
8. Gremlins
"You watched it...You can't UN-watch it..." - first time seeing this movie - love the premise, but it wasn't scary, wasn't funny, wasn't well-acted
9. The Orphanage
Well done haunting story - I enjoyed the atmosphere in this one quite a bit.
10. Phantasm
The Tall Man was creepy but overall the film was too slow and ponderous for me - got distracted while watching.

October 4th
11. Pin
This movie creeped me out. The dummy, the voice. And Terry O'Quinn - looked quite a bit different in the 80s

October 6th
12. Dexter 5x01/Dexter 5x02
*Yawn* So far this season is not grabbing me at all

October 9th
13. Severance
I enjoyed this one quite a bit although the black comic aspects went past me a bit I'm afraid.
14. Dark Shadows 210, 211, 212, 213
15. Return of the Living Dead, Part 2
16. Crawlspace

Spoiler:

Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 - Beast of Yucca Flats
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 - Don't Look Now
--- 1980 - Gremlins
--- 1990 -
--- 2000 - Horsemen
--- 2010 -

Watch a film for each rating:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - Beast of Yucca Flats
--- G -
--- PG - Invasion of the Body Snatchers
--- PG-13 -
--- R - Don't Look Now
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
--- Unrated (post-MPAA) -

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
--- DVD, Don't Look Now
--- Blu-ray,
--- Third format, (insert format), (insert title).

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
--- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- Spanish, The Orphanage
--- Second language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
--- Vampire -
--- Frankenstein -
--- Werewolf -
--- Mummy -
--- Ghost/haunting - The Orphanage
--- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Horsemen
--- Zombie - Zombieland
--- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac -
--- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Gremlins
--- Documentary -
--- Musical -
--- Spoof/comedy - Zombieland
--- Revenge -
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
--- Killer/evil child -
--- Giallo -
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - Beast of Yucca Flats
--- film and its remake -
--- based on a novel - Invasion of the Body Snatchers
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
--- won an Academy Award -- any category -
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film -
--- with commentary -
--- film and at least two of its sequels -
--- anthology film -
--- appears on video nasties list -
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday -
--- takes place in space -
--- takes place on or under the sea -
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." -
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -


Michael

Last edited by fiver; 10-09-10 at 04:52 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:13 PM
  #24  
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread



1st
1. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Can Hollywood “re-imagine” us out of the era of horrible horror remakes like this one? Rorschach Freddy couldn’t even lace up Englund’s glove. This film should have been titled Jumpscare on Lame Street. Do not purchase this film when it comes out on DVD next week as there is a much cheaper way to simulate its affect. Grab some bread and pop it into the toaster. Now, turn your back on the toaster and if you are feeling really adventurous (or ridiculous) close your eyes. You know that the toast is going to pop but you just don’t know when and, when it eventually does, you turn to face it, sigh, and wish you had a Pop Tart.
Rating: *

2. Halloween II (2009)
A golden shower gag, ghost horses, puppy love, enough F’bombs to become gratuitously annoying, a Pumpkinmen Last Supper, Franken-sex and a horror film cameo just as head scratching as when Zsa Zsa paid a visit the Dream Warriros Rob Zombie’s Halloween II has something for everybody…if that “everybody” so happens to be a ward of labotomized mental patients or a room of Duke U athletes signing up for their next Powerpoint inclusion. The thing is, this film had me for the first 25 minutes. There was no redneck breakfast, nicely shot, an atmosphere that got me interested and characters, at the outset, who cared to see survive their plight. Then, alas, Zombie pulls a Newhart on us and the film dissolves and quickly. One of my main issues with the first Zombie Halloween movie (outside of my dislike for the remake craze) was that there were no chracters I cared about. Everybody just seemed loathsome or far too idiotic to root for. Now, I say that but at least the Laurie Strode character tried. In this sequel remake (remakequel?), things only get worse. There is nobody to feel good about here. This is just one cinematic mess on top of another. I found myself actually waiting for Myers to finally end all the inane banter. I believe that some of this film could be spliced into The Doors and nobody would notice. Still, I secretly wish that Rob Zombie one day gets an Oscar nomination for Best Director because how excellent would it be to hear, say, presenter Sir Anthony Hopkins reference “Mr. Zombie” when reading out the nominees. Sadly, this Halloween was not the rich house giving out full size Snickers bars but that old lady who only gives out pennies for UNICEF. Might have got a zero if not for the first 25 minutes, the Rocky Horror and Zappa references and the moments in the film that made me wonder where I could subscribe to the Moody Blues Network.
Rating: *

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)
This, ultimately, is one of those flicks where if you have seen the originals (errr…not the original originals but the original remake of the original and the original sequel but not the sequel of the original original but the remake sequel original) you known how the prequel is going to turn out. You know, though, maybe it’s because I watched this after the horrible Elm Street and H2 revamps, but this one wasn’t so bad. Now, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t great. I liken it to when you are really hungry and the only thing in sight are the Golden Arches. You know the food is going to be crap but at this point you’ll take it. Also, R. Lee Ermey makes anything good. I could watch that guy in an In Black-face Pauly Shore Buddy picture In Space with Paris Hilton as the love interest and Keanu Reaves lending his voice to a blender as the Super Villain (call me, Hollywood!) and still find at least something to like. His performance in this actually makes me want to go back and revisit the first Chainsaw remake again. Unlike H2, these characters at least had some redeeming qualities. Still, I find that something called “The Beginning” should have more distance between it and its predecessor then 4 years. And, hey, I want to know where those kids scored The Radio of the Future playing Free’s “Alright Now” before it was even released! Also, two films in a row where cows in the road factor into the story. What are the odds?
Rating: *.5

4. The 'burbs (1989)
Any flick that Tom Hanks freaking out in only the way Mr. Hanks can is a plus in my books. I really wish Hanks would have continued in more comedic roles because he's just brilliant. I added this as "unseen" though I believe I did see it in the early 90s but recall nothing. The ending may have been a bit predictable but the journey there was a funny ride. Dante's love of The Looney Tunes as well as the classic Twilight Zone both are evident in this flick about a guy with a little too much time on his hands and too many wacky neighbours to spend it with. And then there's Corey Feldman. Feldman's 80s track record of greatness continues here at the end of the decade. Sure, he's basically a Bill and/or Tedd knockoff but you got to hand it to the kid, he picked some good rolls back then. This film is a somewhat overlooked comedy/horror gem of the 80s and I have to wonder why Dante didn't obtain more prominence then he did.
Rating: ***

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Growing up as a “horror-fan” kid in the 80s you were either a Freddy guy or a Jason guy. I admit, I was a Jason guy. My brother and I would take our $5 allowance off to a place called Video Video where the proprietor (a shady Norman Bates-like guy who you know kept boxes of porn behind the counter) had a gumball machine in which various coloured gumballs would give you various prizes such as free rentals, sodas, etc. The more you pumped in, the more you won. I think my brother and I kept that place afloat leaving often with up to 10 free rentals, all horror. This was how we discovered the Friday and Elm Street films and this is how I became a Jason guy. But, even then, I think I realize that Elm Street was always a better film an over the years the Freddy character has lingered more in the psyche. Though there are some hokey moments (Nancy booby trapping an entire home in less then 20 minutes comes to mind), overall this was a scary film the first time I saw it and it still holds up unmarred by the inferior sequels that became increasing more comedic. Watching this film so close to the remake again makes me realize why such re-imaginings don’t need to be made. This film is a classic of the genre and it remains so. Meeting Robert Englund a few years ago turned me back into a 15 year old rushing home to watch the Elm Street video he won with a gumball. When he signed my DVD he wrote “Sleeep kills” and smiled and though there was no makeup there, on his face, was Freddy, a horror icon. Bypass the remake, folks, and enter the original Nightmare.
Rating: ****

2nd
6. Never Sleep Again: The Making of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'
Though a little rushed, this was the best documentary on the making of Nightmare when it was released. However, since then, the vastly superior and similarly titled Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy has become the ultimate resource for fans of the films. This little doc, though, did provide some great insight from most of those involved in the production (damn you, Johnny Depp, admit to your roots, man!) and of note is the section on how some of the special effects in the film were achieved on such a tight budget.
Rating:**

7. Dead Space: Downfall (2008)
I just got back into gaming this year and when I started looking up some of the top games I missed over my near decade away Dead Space, sort of if you put Night of the Living Dead and Alien in a blender and pressed mix, kept popping up. I wasn’t disappointed. After a move off the harder mode (I was getting slaughtered out there!), I became engrossed into the environment created. Turning corners into horrific scenes of carnage, trying to unlock the mystery of the game and all the way to the final seconds this game actually made me jump (something I can’t say for Resident Evil) a few times playing it late in the eve. The movie, however, decided to go the Aliens route (complete with a very Ripley-like lead) having action over atmosphere and most of the creepiness of the game was traded in for hails of bullets and gore. Lots of gore. This is the bloodiest animated film I’ve ever seen. I did enjoy how it tied into the game in the end (as an aside, I can’t wait for Dead Space 2, the game, in January) but wish the film created a better mood. And, hey, where was that lightsaber chainsaw in the game? That would have come in handy a few times. It also would have been create to have Dances With Rocks in the game as a playable character.
Rating: **

8. Le Manior du Diable (1896)
(WILD CARD 1)

Rating: *.5

9. Sisters (1973)☼
I can’t believe this flick squeaked under my radar all these years. I had seen it in the video store but never thought it to be a horror film, let alone such a good one. De Palma didn’t seem to have any bones against taking a page, actually more like a few chapters, out of Hitchcock’s book (even yanking Bernard Herrmann out of retirement for the score). This isn’t a bad thing (he could have taken a chapter out of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer’s book…errr, you know, of the future) as if you are going to steal (homage) then best do it from the best. Where Hitch didn’t go with gore De Palma pours it out and the first murder in this film will jar you and stick. It holds up well even against modern cinematic brutality and, perhaps, was a sign of what was to come one year later with the pull of a chainsaw. 70s movie blood, though, looked terrible. At one point you will think the victim has busted open a tube of acrylic. I do feel the film fizzles out a bit at the end when it dives more into the psychological pool but it wasn’t enough to sully such a brilliant, unexpected setup. Rear Window and Psycho similarities aside, Sisters is 70s horror at it’s finest.
Rating: ***

10. Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General (1968)
I really don’t comprehend all the praise this film has recieved. This was just a poorly-wigged romp through a very dull country side. 90% of this film is high-pitched screaming that becomes the equivalent of using cheese-graters on your ears for 90 minutes. Seriously, play some Yoko Ono on full volume for 90 minutes and you’ll understand what it’s like to see Witchfinder General. Fans of torture-horror will be happy to know the genre was alive and well long before Jigsaw entered out lives. In that, perhaps, this film was ahead of its time. The usually brilliant Vincent Price plays Prince Valliant…no, wait, sorry, the wig threw me…I mean he plays Matthew Hopkins, an actual witch hunter in the mid-1600s. Estimates claim that Hopkins was responsible for 40% of witch executions between 1645-1647. In reading up on him it seems he lead a much more interesting life then this film portrays. Maybe if the film bypassed the horrid love story and focused more on the historical aspects it would have been more enjoyable. It is fair to note that the film drummed up some controversy when first released due to its extreme violence. 4 minutes of the film were cut. I viewed the uncut version and would have preferred if they cut the 85 minutes of wailing and kept the torture in tact. This film, however, did make me wonder why you never hear of Warlock Hunters.
Rating: *

11. Alien (1979)
Rating: ****

3rd
12. Aliens (1986)
Rating: ***

13. The Cat and the Canary (1927)
An early entry in the Universal horror series, elements of this film may seem cliché now but, hey, you got to begin somewhere. This is what we call a genre starter. Wiki says this isn’t the first haunted house film but it has to be close to being the first and, if anything, must be the first of the “invite a group of guests to stay the night inside said haunted house in an effort to gain great riches” type of film. The Cat and the Canary surly can be said to have influenced everything from House on Haunted Hill to Scooby-doo to Clue. Heck, come to think of it, the familiar “G-gg-g-g-ghost!” ever present in anything Casper is even here. Maybe I’m not far off the mark to think that this film was in mind when Shaggy was first inked. Hidden panels, secret passage ways, madman escaped from the asylum…yes, been done to death but it all started here. If kicking off the familiar spooky house genre isn’t enough, this film was also influential to horror comedy. Sadly, this film suffers from classic over-acting found in early silent films. There are times when we are supposed to be spooked but find ourselves chuckling. Still, the comedic-dramatic aside, this film is a stepping stone for what was to come in the “old dark house” genre. Best of all, because of this film, decades later, we were given the greatest episode of the Flinstones: A Haunted House Is Not a Home. Watch for Stanley Spedowski’s cameo as a helpful milkman.
Rating: ***

14. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
Touches of the future brilliance of Hitchcock are showcased here (ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, a potential wrongly accused) though the director is still learning a craft he will soon master. The influence of German expressionistic horror is evident here, as well. I really wish Hitch would have remade this film later in life as he did The Man Who Knew Too Much. The concept is wonderful but perhaps could have been executed better in a “talkie”. Often this films villain is incorrectly called Jack the Ripper. Whereas the film is obviously a reference the famous killer, here he is called The Avenger which instantly brings to mind somebody roaming the foggy streets of late 1800s London in bright yellow and red spandex battling his arch nemesis Cockney Wanker!
Rating: **.5

15. Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
Okay, I have a confession to make. I know I will blaspheme and will possibly be stripped of my horror-fandom for admitting this but I have never been a fan of Hammer horror films. There, it’s out. I’m sure there’s a Hammer flick out there that I will eventually find and enjoy but so far they have all just been drawn out and dull. The studio should not have taken the name of such an exciting tool. HAMMER suggests hard hitting, loud smashing chunks of banged down excitement. From what I have seen of the studios output, a better name would have been Allen Key productions: slow and steady but it gets the job done on your Flarke bookcase. Okay, there’s some fair acting in these films (Price, Lee and Cushing) but the roles are so drab. A Hammer film is that tacky piece of “art” hanging in your grandmother’s spare room. Sure, it’s art but damned if I understand why Gran loves those still-life pears so much. From the redos of Universal flicks like Dracula and Frankenstein to the Edgar Allen Poe inspired films, Hammer for me has just been a walk through banality. Again, I realize this is an unpopular opinion amongst horror films. Cast me out. I’ll understand. This film is no different in its grateful helping of boredom. Not much to say, really. Another telling of the Frankenstein story. Victor is up to his old monster building tricks only this time we replace Karloff for Moss Man. Here’s a tip from this armchair film critic: if you are going to have a Monster From Hell advertised so prominently in your title perhaps it is a good idea to utilize him closer to the start of your film rather then the end of it. When I found myself nodding off I just pictured Prowse in his Vader outfit being ordered about by Grand Moff Tarkin and all was right with the world. Hammer strikes out yet again for me.

Rating:*

16. Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
When sitting down to watch a film entitled Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers you expect a heaping of crap with a side of camp. Surprisingly, this flick was more camp then crap. Oh, there was crap, but I found myself overlooking the bad while laughing over the ridiculousness of it all. Bad Bogart, Blood, Buzz and Boobs is really all you’re getting here. The cheese (and there is more of it here then you can find in all of Wisconsin) laced dialogue ala classic Noir ("I'd stumbled into the middle of an evil, insidious cult of chainsaw worshipping maniacs. I had to wonder if we'd let our religious freedom go too far in this country, or maybe our immigration laws were just too lax.") kept me watching. And, hey, the jiggle and bounce didn’t hurt. How does one begin to start a chainsaw hooker cult? Well, having Leatherface as your leader is a necessity (the gag with Hansen starting up the saw was great). Recruitment has to be hard, though. These women can get busted for carrying blades when on the job but one needs a pretty large purse for carrying a concealed chainsaw. Also, is it not enough that these poor ladies have reduced themselves to fornicating with greasy bar boozers for cash but now they also have to learn the choreography behind the Virgin Dance of the Double Chainsaws? Still, with all those horror flicks out there with killers preying on the Ladies of the Night it was nice to see a flick where these girls are finally taking action and defending themselves.
Rating: *.5

4th
17. Infernal Cauldron (1903)
(WILD CARD 2)☼
Rating: *.5

18. Ben (1972)
What do you get when you mix The Secret of Nimh, E.T., Michael Jackson and Leave it to Beaver? A whole lot of stupid…or Ben, the follow-up to 1971’s Willard. In Willard the title character creates an army of super-intelligent rats. I looked for these rats in Ben but only found, well, rats…doing things that rats would do. They live inside walls, in the sewers and they scavenge for food. These rats are far more Pinky then the Brain. If they were truly super-intelligent why didn’t they invest in the stock market, build luxury hotels in the sewers, establish government or, at the very least, learn how to use tools and start farming? If Ben was so smart why did he befriend a wuss kid with a heart condition. He should have set out to find Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris! This film struggles in trying to find what it is trying to be. One moment it is all out animal vs. man horror and the next it’s a Disney movie complete with whimsical child songs and puppet shows. Why didn’t the police force of this movie just raid the nearest Human Society and set loose a dozen or so cats on these rodents? Let’s be honest, people, anything in a large swarm can be harmful. Somebody out there could make a Night of the Feathers film or Attack of the Zombie Cantaloupes. You get a million of anything attacking people, in this instance rats, and you’ve got a scary movie. Is it a wonder that Michael Jackson turned out as he did when his first solo hit was a serenade to a rat in a horrible horror movie? Meredith Baxter was poorly used. Elyse Keaton would have kicked some rat ass.
Rating: *

19. Horror Hotel (1960)
My confusion with aspects of this film begins early, I’m afraid. As early, in fact, as the title. Doing a Google search for the title brought me to City of the Dead, Horror Hotel’s alternate title. I wouldn’t classify the main location of this film as a city. Village of the dead, maybe, but this place didn’t even have a Starbucks. Horror Hotel makes slightly more sense except for the fact that the hotel in question is referred to as an inn for the entire film. Title gripes aside, I enjoyed the film for the most part once you try to suppress some gnawing plot problems. Such as, why is there a church located in a village of devil worshipers? Isn’t that like having a condom dispense in the Vatican? Ditto for the crosses. Why did the reverend remain in the town, anyway, with his knowledge of all the evil goings on and, more so, if he knew how to stop the cult why didn’t he do so before going all Stevie Wonder on us? The ever eerie Christopher Lee plays a small role in this film but vanishes so unexpectedly that you forget he was ever there. Perhaps he was in the village somewhere obscured by the copious amount of fog. (It has been pointed out to me that Lee did indeed return in the village) I fear I missed some crucial elements of the plot because I couldn’t see it. If ever you are a wayward traveler seeking lodging in a suspect village your first tip to haul ass should be the noticing of a layer of fog blanketing the earth and never rising more then one foot off the ground. It is interesting to me that both this film and Psycho were released in the same year and both carry some distinct similarities. Some movies, though, brave through their blights and remain enjoyable. The films design creates the proper mood what with the aforementioned fog, some great lighting and good casting choices, especially that of Patricia Jessel. Although, I defy anybody who has seen Holy Grail to not shout "Build a bridge out of her " during the opening scene. And another thing, if Lucifer is known as the light-bearer why do so many people who worship him do so in the dark? You'd think Satanism would thrive in places closest to the equator.

Rating: **.5

20. Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
Rating: **.5

21. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982)
My rating on this film (if it can be called a film as it is really just a straight recording of the stage production) is not for the production value but for the music. Sweeney Todd’s Sondheim score is one of the most brilliant in all of musical theatre. Very complicated to sing, I imagine, with lots of overlapping lyrics, the songs and score are perfect compliments to the horrific tale of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I watched the Tim Burton version last year but I enjoyed this more. Burton cut out some of my favorite parts of the libretto and as good as Johnny Depp he takes second chair to George Hearn’s performance. Hearn sings with such angry intensity. Angela Lansbury is a perfect compliment and steals the show. For those who think Phantom is king of horror musical theatre take a look at Sweeney…just don’t eat the pies.
Rating: ****

22. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1912) WILD CARD 3
Rating: **.5

5th
23. Tod Browning's Freaks: The Sideshow Cinema (2004)
Watch this doc, gooble gobble, gooble, gobble. Pretty much anything you want to know about the strangest film of the early studio era is here. Most fascinating are the profiles of the sideshow performers used in the film.
Rating: ***

24. The Sentinel (1977)
I have trouble believing that Ricky Butler (see The 'burbs) sat through this entire film. It's like asking me to picture Stoney Brown (see Encino Man) sitting under a willow tree reading Othello. Then again, Butler did spend a lot of time watching his neighbors whilst awaiting the Pizza Dude so perhaps he has a lot more patience then I give him credit for. I hadn't heard of The Sentinel until Corey Feldman’s mention of it in The 'burbs, watched earlier in this challenge. Come on, Feldmen, use some Spoiler Tags! Still, his speech got me intrigued enough to track down this film. The Sentinel is what a call a "Tangent Film", a flick with a lot of threads you hope will somehow connect at the end. Most films of this type, especially in the horror genre, usually will not achieve this. This film, albeit a bit clumsy in its execution, does bring everything together in the end. I feel, though, the plot could have been bettered without the addition of the Action Lawyer and Lockpick Wonder tangent. Just as I found myself getting into the creepy apartment aspect of the tale we are whooshed into Action Lawyers excessive attempts to put together the mystery and the cops who are trying to bring him down. Action Lawyer might have made an excellent 1970s dramatic TV show but jarred me out of the better elements of this story. I feel more could have been made of the eerie setup to a very jarring ending (which, I read, stirred up some real life Hollywood controversy...dare I say, give me another "gooble, gobble! "). The Sentinel also had a pretty big cast of name actors. Both Jeff Goldblum (though his voice is strangely and poorly dubbed) and Christopher Walken (though…… his…… voice is not…. strangely and…. poorly dubbed with more cowbell!) starred in this flick and Oscar Winner Annie Hall in the same year. Also of note is that John Williams passed on scoring this film to do Star Wars. Well, Johnny, you backed the right horse there. The Sentinel is certainly worth a viewing even though the plot at times is a bit clunky and finds itself sidetracked away from what could have made it are more frightening film. The ending ans Zombie Gramps are welcome additons to any horror fans best scenes of torror list. If anything, watch it for the radically different performance of Burgess Meredith then found in any of the Rocky movies. "You're a bum, Beelzebub!"
Rating: **.5

25. Død snø (2009)
One of my 'lil gripes about modern horror movies of this sort (young people find cabin in the woods and await the gory inevitable) is that you'd think the protagonists would have, like the films audience, have grown up watching horror movies and, thus, would know when to get the fuck out of Dodge and what NOT to do. Okay, granted, this might be a bit to ask of the modern horror screenwriter but THIS film actually HAD a character that had watched a bevy of horror films and still didn't know what to do. Dead Snow is a slow starter but when it kicks into a high gear of gore it becomes exactly what I wanted it to be: a campy Nazi zombie movie with buckets of sludge in the snow. Bring on the Reich of the Living Dead! But, with all the entrails and brains and limbs and crimson mess permeating the last hour of the film, Dead Snow blows its load (Ummm...pun intended) early by showing viewers something far more grotesque then anything the zombies dished out. I'd do love in an elevator but I'd never, EVER do love in an outhouse! This has to be one of the more disturbing horror film sex scenes in recent memory (Note RECENT memory because I don't think anything will top Basket Case). Seriously, what is it with Germans and scat!? For any hot blooded online porn lover, the Germans have just become synonymous with excrement and intercourse. It's as though some cruel mind thought to attempt to rival such German atrocities of the past by unleashing scat onto a feeble race of masturbators who, in the heat of a mouse click, can't defend themselves. That's just cruel, folks. At one point in the film a human bites a zombie. Of all the zombie flicks I've seen I don't recall that ever happening before and it gave me pause. If a human bites a zombie can: a) said human still become infected with zombotitus or b) somehow reverse the affects of zombisim and infect the zombie and make it human once again? Might make for an interesting change of pace to have humans chasing zombies in the wasteland of the dead in an effort to cure them. Again, Hollywood, I'm available. The makers of Dead Snow must be fans of the genre as their are classic horror film references peppered throughout the flick (not to mention Die Hard and Terminator nods, as well). Like in The Thing, I like the contrast of grotesqueness on white and kudos to the cast here who must have suffered so many a chilly production day. I just hope there isn't a special edition in our future with a newly extended outhouse scene.
Rating: ***

26. A Bucket of Blood (1959)
In Bucket of Blood we discover the sad and lonely artistic days of youth for one Mr. Futterman. No wonder he became a drunken bitter old man slinging racist rants Kingston Falls street corners. I have to feel sorry for the guy, though. If my teen years were spent surrounded by Beatniks I’d have probably met a similar end. Ah Beatniks. Finally a young group of people I WANT to see slaughtered. Sadly, Jason Voorhees hadn’t been invented yet. This film is very similar to Little Shop of Horrors which was shot after Bucket of Blood and went on to more prominence. Dick Miller may be being a touch generous when he said: “The story was good, the acting was good, the humour in it was good, the timing was right, everything about it was right—-but they didn't have any money for production values, and it suffered." The story WAS good though not original. We’ve seen this story before in Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) or House of Wax (1953). The acting WAS not unless you consider poorly read Beatnik gags good acting. Actually, maybe Futterman is on to something here. I actually did believe those Beatniks were douche bags. This is another one of those flicks where you think they came up with the title before they wrote the script. Futterman is an artist who works in clay, not paint. A Bucket of Blood seems to fit more with a painting motif. When looked at as a Cornman-style horror-comedy it stands on shaky legs, at best, but at least it’s watchable and has a few great moments. The set up for a strangulation and Miller’s acting in that scene showcase how in some parallel world he may very well be an A-list star.
Rating: **

27. The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936)
I really wish Hollywood would have given Karloff some more serious roles instead of the constant Frankenstein re-spawns like this one. Karloff plays a scientist who has discovered how to transfer peoples, for lack of a better word, souls into different bodies. His character in this film basically creates Quantum Leap decades ahead of its time…with monkeys! Actually, there was a Quantum Leap where Sam leapt into a monkey. Hummm, I smell plagiarism Bellisario! Wedged between Bride Of and Son Of Frankenstein (along with some mostly forgettable films) this film holds up on the weight of Karloff’s performance which is very good. I don’t think the slew of bad roles and typecasting had hit him yet. The story is just capitalizing on the Frankenstein them but as far as films go that did that, this one is passable though it shows how Karloff’s talents were wasted. Boris Karloff is Macbeth! Picture it and imagine how great that would have been.
Rating: **

28. Maniac (1934)
Oh man, where to start with this one. Troll 2 and Manos: The Hands of Fate generally come up on Worst Of lists of cinema. Well, folks, you could roll Torgo and the Trolls into one flick, even set it in a concentration camp and call it a Romance film and it probably still wouldn’t hold a candle to the crap-a-thon that is Maniac. Of course, what can you expect from Dwain Esper, the madman who brought us Refer Madness, How to Undress in Front of Your Husband and Marihuana. For a dude who made two flicks against the usage of weed I have to play the hypocrite card here because there is no way the man who made Maniac wasn’t on something. Let me explain the plot as best I can: A once vaudevillian actor now works for a mad scientist who is, surprise surprise, trying to raise the dead. The actor later assumes the role of the scientist, becomes even madder, creates a maniac and gets messed up with the cat-breeder next door as well as a group of scantly glad showgirls, an inheritance, a blackmailing wife and a whole lot of title cards explaining various mental illnesses. This film doesn’t even clock in at the hour mark and most of it is reading long and slow title cards. Be happy if you get as muddy a print as I did because then at least most of the bad scenery is blurred and, if you’re lucky, the horrible dialogue is muddy. Maniac didn’t play in mainstream theatres but was a roadshow film. Due to the content and nudity you could see it in indy theatres or anywhere people could play it as it traveled across the US. Filmmakers like Esper would attempt to mask the naughty bits by highlighting morals or by messages of warning. This would allow them to skitter somewhat under the production code. If Maniac has a message it’s that films really should be made by filmmakers.
Rating: .5

6th
29. May (2002)
May is one messed up mama-jamma. Both the character and the film. I don’t quite know what to make of this one. Those who know me will know of my rants over the lack of originality in the current horror genre what with all the remakes marring up cinema screens with most, sigh, taking in enough cash to merit remakequals. Then along comes May, an quirky and new film that despite an obvious referencing of Frankenstein feels fresh though, perhaps, a little off. Sexual conflict, emotional trauma, lesbians, a well acted main role, gore but not to the point where it’s over the top. Yes, there’s a lot to enjoy here. Again, it’s hard to peg this one. I find myself wanting it to resonate more then it does. After all, I think, there are all those reviews online praising the film none more so amazing as Roger Ebert himself granting this 4 out of 4 stars. Ebert, with this rating, awards this the perfect film seal of approval. I guess, Rog, that doesn’t sit well with me. Annie Hall, for example, got three and a half stars. Is there really something so special in May that it should be placed so high? Maybe one has to consider that current state of modern horror here. It’s as though you have found a ripe peach in the tomato section, out of place, a little strange considering the surroundings. And maybe the film isn’t so original. May could be a slightly more demented, less telekentic, cousin of Carrie. I found the end of the film somewhat predictable and the ride to get there peppered with bad dialogue (“Do you have any ice I can rub on my nipples?” and pretty much anything utter by Anna Faris come to mind) and some annoying characters. If ever there is a Tommy remake we have our Roger Daltrey in Jeremy Sisto. In the end, I guess what I am getting is just because it’s new and fresh doesn’t make it good.
Rating: **
Rating for the student film shown in May: ***.5 (Now that was new, fresh AND good)

30. The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
After a string of horrible to passable public domain titles and one puzzling flick about a troubled girl that missed the mark, The Little Girl That Lived Down The Lane is a flick about a troubled girl that splits the arrow on the mark. This horror Home Alone has a very compelling story carried by the suburb acting of a 14 year-old Jodie Foster. The mystery of the story reveals itself midway but doesn’t make the film run out of gas. Here we have a well directed character study of a lonely girl forced into maturity before her time. Around this is wrapped a mystery-horror film. What we don’t see draws us in and as more and more visitors make their way into the house the story of a little girl carrying a horrible secret and just wants to be left alone becomes even more engrossing. Martin Sheen is also great in his villainous role of a pedophile. The hamster scene will make you loath him, as you should. Strangely, Foster herself dislikes this film though some of that could be chalked up to the inclusion of a nude scene for her character which she refused to do leaving the task for a body double (in this case, her sister). This movie had every opportunity to step over the line but it keeps itself in check every step of the way. The only blight I can see is the soundtrack, though a great jazz score, seemed out of place. At times I felt I could have been watching a live action Charlie Brown cartoon. Surely not enough to take away anything from this mid-70s gem. Foster, hate the flick or not, you should have got an Oscar nom.
Rating: ****

31. The Seventh Victim (1943) (Commentary track by Steve Haberman)
No rating.

32. The Touch of Satan (1971) MST3K Episode
No rating.

33. The House of the Devil (2009)
The night of films of the Devil ends on a supurb note with House of the Devil. Now, you need a little patience with this one. It’s a bit of a build but the final 40 minutes worth the plodding of the films first half. I say plodding but only for fans of more faster paced horror films. This film plays more like 60s to early 80s fright flick before stalkers became the rage: lots of spooky atmosphere and psychological scares that build to a horrific climax. Think of the Exorcist, The Shinning and Rosemary’s Baby. I am not claiming this film is up to par with those films, just in a similar vain of a slow build as it creates a mood before kicking it up in the final act or so. Like May, this film seems fresh and new in the current crop of scary movies that do little to scare the audience but to add a pop-scare on very predictable beats. Unlike May, this film is actually quite spooky and even with the tired old “babysitter” it still seems different. This film holds us with suspense and sheds the buckets of gore for deeper resonating scare. Turn on the lights for this one.
Rating: ***

7th
34. The Fear of God: 25 Years of 'The Exorcist' (1998)☼
Rating: ***

35. Voodoo Man (1944)
Whereas Karloff showcased some fine acting ability in the slipshod roles he was given, Mr. Bela Lugosi kept selling the Dracula schtick like penny candy at a flea market. In the Voodoo Man Lugosi is, errrr, a Voodoo Man clad in a voodoo robe with his high voodoo priest sitting in his voodoo chair in his voodoo lair with a drummer drumming that funky voodoo beat. Still, no matter how many times your slap the word voodoo on this thing he’s still leeching off the Dracula character complete with the “eyes o’doom”. Here’s more of that “life essence” transferring plot we say in the Karloff film the other day only this time there’s a bevy of beauties. If Lugosi was less focused on voodoo and more on business he’d build himself a grotto and start up a magazine. It appears that this film uses Looney Tunes logic as people keep falling for the old Road Runner road closed gag. Voodoous Ludicrous. John Carradine is great in his supporting role of Bongo Pete.
Rating: *.5

36. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972)
In his now classic guide to screenwriting, Screenplay, author Syd Field explains the screenplay structure as a Three-Act Paradigm. Act 1 (Inciting Incident and plot point 1). Act 2 (Confrontation and plot point 2). Act 3: (Climax and resolution). Bob Clark and Alan Ormsby, writers of Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things or Revenge of the Living Dead, Things From the Dead or Zreaks opted to go the avant-garde route with their acts 1 and 2 and have absolutely NOTHING happen. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Field…you know, ummm, if you smoke. If not then, well, put it in your book and read it. Nyaa! When this film finally pulls the trigger (I shit you not with 20 minutes to go) General Lee has already visited the Appomattox Court House, Nagasaki’s been nuked and the last plane has left Saigon. In short, you’re too fucking late, soldier! The bulk of the plot here centres around a group of annoying thespians who best not quit their day jobs paddling to a cemetery located on a remote island. I was a bit thrown by the title when the cast first appeared as they were not children but then the 65 minutes of pouting and name-calling an whining and, yes, even a pants peeing incident showed me the title was indeed apropos. Soon the homos of the living dead show up and things go from bad to faaaaaaaa-bou-lous!!! The final 20 minutes of the film isn’t bad but it’s like finding a Smartie in the septic tank. Too bad, too, because the late Mr. Clark would go on to make two of my favourite Christmas Flicks (Christmas Story and Black Christmas). Of course, he would also go on to make Baby Geniuses, Baby Geniuses 2 and The Karate Dog but I’ll go easy on the man who gave us “You’ll shoot your eye out” and Porkys!
Rating: *.5

37. Burning Bright (2010)
It’s a dark and stormy night. A young girl find herself trying to protect her younger brother as she is stalked by a killer with no escape. Sound familiar? You’re right, it’s been done. However, consider that it’s not a masked psycho, a spooky spectre or a possessed doll but a tiger locked into a inescapable home with our poor gal and you have Burning Bright, a straight to DVD release that really should have got a run in the theatre because, if anything, of it’s original twist and some great suspense story telling. Like most online discussing this flick I don’t understand at all how the title relates to things. We are well beyond the days where the studio heads hand you a title (I Walked With a Zombie, anyone?) and say “roll with it, bucko!” so the writers here (all three of them) actually choose this title! The premises, I agree, seems laughable at first glance. “There’s a tiger in the house,” may read as comedic in a less crafted piece but here it is done in a believable way. I will say there are a few plot holes here but I have always said that such things can be overlooked by an interesting film that doesn’t fall into said holes deep enough to ruin the piece. Briana Evigan is excellent in this film. She’s a regular Jane McClane as she moves about the home MacGyver’ing her way to survive. As mentioned, this film carries some fine suspense and a laundry room scene in particular sent a shiver over this reviewers back. “Herrrrrrrrrre’s tigy!” At times, like in Fincher’s Panic Room, there’s a very claustrophobic fear evoked as the camera holds tight leaving the audience to wonder what is lurking around the corner. Hey, Meat Loaf is in this movie to unless the Tiger out of Hell! Oh yes, and you may find yourself, like I did, hoping Rain Man-Boy becomes tiger-bait. Ahhh, autism, can’t ignore it…can’t feed it to a hungry tiger.
Rating: ***

38. Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Rating: *.5



8th
39. I Drink Your Blood (1970)☼
Well, I’ll give them one thing: it’s a different idea but it’s a pretty stupid idea. Don’t have the green to make a werewolf movie? No problem! Just give you cast rabies, add a bit of cool whip around the mouth and, voila, instant horror antagonists. Oh yeah, Satan should be there too somewhere. In this wrongly titled film (It should be called WE EAT ITS Blood) a group of Satanic Merry Pranksters (“free love” “groovy” “Hail Satan, man!”) take up residence in a town’s abandoned hotel where soon they start threatening the locals including old Dr. Banner (not the “you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry” one) and Oopsie The Wonder Boy. The film drummed up a little controversy with it’s obvious elusion to the Manson Family (although this one includes Tonto, Meho and Shaft! Come to think of it, these guys could have went on to form the Village People) as well as being first rated X and having to be heavily edited to even appear in theatres. Sadly, whereas the gore is actually pretty shocking for the time and Shaft and Tonto play their parts well enough, the film is hurt by the redicoulous premis that having rabies is “hopeless”. Seriously, somebody takes their life when they learn they have it. Haven’t any of these people heard of Louis Pasteur? Is gutting yourself really necessary when you can just take a couple of vaccinations to the stomach? What I have learned from this film is never, EVER gang-bang a rabid slut.
Rating: **

40. The Phantom Ship (1936)
A film from the 30s where Lugosi doesn’t play a vampire, Eegor or a mad scientist, you say? The Phantom Ship is also known as The Mystery of the Marie Celeste using the fascinating mystery of the real ship as a backdrop for a not nearly as fascinating tale. The ship was found in December of 1872 with every single crew member missing, no signs of foul play and with all goods still aboard. Whereas theories have ranged from the plausible (storms, insurance fraud, pirates) to the loony (aliens, sea monsters and the Bermuda Triangle), The Phantom Ship sets its explanation against the backdrop of jealousy and revenge. Don’t go into this looking for historical accuracy. Lugosi hams it up here as a down on his luck sea man bouncing between some passable acting to outright horrid deliveries. Still, I give ol’ Bela props for trying something different. He might have done better acting this later on in life when really strung out on drugs and booze. The plays very much like an Agatha Christie novel (see: And Then There Were None) on the high sea and though any horror fan worth their salt can see the ending a mile away the film remains interesting enough…except… I have to believe a key element of this film hit the cutting room floor as two of the films main characters simply vanish off screen with their outcome referenced in dialogue later. Perhaps the filmmakers wanted to mirror the strange mystery of their subject matter by placing in one of their own. Damn Bermuda Triangle…now it’s taking plot points! Well, say hi to Amelia Earhart for me.
Rating: **

41. Beetle Juice (1988)
Rating: ***.5

42. Salvage (2009)
As we begin this film with a father and his daughter in a car I didn’t quite know where we were going. For somebody who has seen as many horror flicks as I have, this is a good thing. Take me in one direction and then slam me into a brick wall that veers me in another. The low budget Salvage has an excellently executed set up as we the audience experience the unknown with the characters as early on the film plays upon our more recent fears in society. Hard to talk about this one without giving anything away, save to say that each time I thought I knew what was going to happen I was wrong. Like other films watched in this challenge, I feel I can overlook some plot issues when the subject matter is engrossing enough. Like Burning Bright, this film has a well acted female lead and creates suspense with its of pop frights. I enjoyed the dual villains of this movie as I created more a sense of dread. Who you think is there to save is actually a greater enemy then the one you have been running from. They are all out to get you.
Rating: **.5

9th
43. Cannibal ferox (1981)
Banned in 31 countries, they say. The most violent movie ever made, they say. Just another mundane walk in the jungle, I say and that’s with the fact that it was illegal for me to be watching this thing in Canada! It’s obvious that these cannibal movies were not made to form a well thought out story but could the filmmakers at least tried to put something less dull in between the scenes of torture and animal slaughter? Yeah, I know that’s a strange sentence but I just found this film and Cannibal Holocaust to be boring. Let’s face it, these movies were made to push the envelop so far that it goes through the mailbox and in that they succeeded. I cringed and at one point even shielded my eyes. But I also yawned and fought to remain awake. This film started out interesting and lead me to believe that somehow these cannibals were going to be loose in the Big Apple. Sigh for the plot twist that takes us into the jungle where we find cannibals lead a pretty mundane life. Somebody bring these flesh slurping fuckers a Wii. Hey, I know you don’t go into one of these flicks looking for story but a little more tenderizer would have been better for the meat of this thing. Where was PETA during the time of these animal killing flicks? That’s the really sad thing here. Actual things had to die for the purpose of shock and no hippie celeb posed nude for it!
Rating: *.5

44. Nightmares In Red White And Blue (2009)
Rating: ***.5

45. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)☼
Seriously folks we have hit rock bottom. I just learned that this film is getting a remake in 2011. We have mined the final dregs of the bottom of the bottom of the barrel. All that’s left now is tunnel to the centre of the earth where eventual Troll 2 remakes await us. With such a great title this film had potential to be THE cult parody comedy flick but ultimately it collects a handful of funny scenes and then goes splat. They try for Python with a dash of Kentucky Fried Movie but these veggies aren’t very ripe. You really need Leslie Nielsen in these types of films. However, I did enjoy the sequel to this flick and the theme song is pretty catchy.
Rating: *.5

46. Martin (1977)
Rating: **

10th
47. Survival of the Dead (2009)☼
Rating: **.5

48. Final Destination (2000) )
Final Destination is a bit of a mixed bag. The plot is actually quite engaging and the villain unique to the genre at the time and, frankly, still kind of is. A ballsy movie in the age of MTV generation low attention span horror flicks to have an unseen killer. Alas, the filmmakers just HAD to knock us over the head with an explanation the philander to the film going morons who require one. Instead of just leaving things more ambiguous out pops the Candyman with enough plot exposition you’d think he had a copy of Final Destination: The Novelization in the morgue with him. This isn’t a minor gripe for me that I can overlook but actually ruined a good chunk of the film. It was needless and dumbed down an otherwise wonderful premise. With an explanation tacked on things just got goofy as the main character continues to piss off the reaper without even engaging him in a game of Battleship. Would have received a higher rating if the movie gave its audience a touch more credit.
Rating: **.5

49. City of the Living Dead (1980)☼
I’m not spoiling anything when I say that this is a zombie movie. Anything with “of the living dead” in the title should pretty much drum up scenes of slow lurching undead and oodles of gory zombie madness. City of the Living Dead is another one of these titles that showed so much promise. Here I am picturing zombie stockbrokers and zombie telemarketers…a bunch of zombies car pooling to the office or acne laced zombie video store clerks. How about zombies jogging to their Ipods? Zombie dance clubs? People having found each other on PlentyofZombies.com suffering through their first date in zombie Starbucks? Lots of potential here but City of the Living Dead really just focuses on a small portion of a city and features maybe 7 zombies. Survival of the Dead takes place on a small island and manages to give us more zombie bang for our buck. Still, these zombies had the power to teleport! Strange, though, that they still lurch slowly about. You’d think if you could teleport you’d always utilize this to your advantage. Slow plodding villains along with a slow plodding film and slow plodding actors do not for interesting cinema make…or something. This is an Italian Fulci gorefest and watching this I will give the Italians credit. They have some damn fine dubbing going on. I barely noticed things weren’t matching. Japan take note! Strange ending on this one. It was as though they wanted one final scare but had no footage so they just shrugged, slow motioned and added a scream and left it up for the audience to figure out. Thanks for the homework, movie!
Rating: *.5

50. The Shining (1980)
Rating: ****

11th
51. Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare (1987)
I don’t care what anybody says, this movie ROCKS! There has never been a better Soft Core Porno Glam Rockers Battle Satanic Puppets movie and I think I can fairly state there never will be. When I was a teen I was often picked on for choosing to blast the sounds of Dokken and Warrant from my tape deck instead of the hot new hits of C+C Music Factory and the ever so popular Vanilla Ice. I cut my jeans up, tossed on my KISS t-shirt and rocked until sunrise, baby! This film vindicates my lifestyle choice because here in Winger: The Movie the power of glam triumphs over evil the world is saved by David Lee Roth on steroids. Fans of MST3K should be well acquainted with Jon Mikl Thor, the “star” of Zombie Nightmare. What you may not know is that Thor, a former Mr. Canada and Mr. USA bodybuilder, has been rocking since the early 70s. Some might say Thor’s abandoning the touring life to focus on filmmaking in the 1980s to be a career misstep but I couldn’t disagree more. If he hadn’t we would not have the gold that is Rock ‘N Roll Nightmare. With all the horrid acting, flubbed lines left in the film, one eyed Don King haired puppets and Casio Keyboard score you’d think this would rank rather low on the enjoyment scale, especially considering how I’ve been reviewing most of these films. Rock N Roll Nightmare, however, is a perfect example of “so bad it’s good”. Not only did this flick make me want to dust off my Skid Row albums and grow a mullet but it also provided me with so much unintentional comedy. The final 10 minutes alone featuring Thor in a cod-piece battling a rubber puppet to the death nearly did me in. I think I just have a soft spot for 80s cheese like Soultaker and Hobgoblins. Now if you don’t mind I am going to flick on some Cinderella and float back towards my days of youth.
Rating: ***

52. Attack of the Galactic Monsters (1983)☼
Well, here’s another one of those public domain titles but this one has an air of mystery about it. It appears to have entered into the Bermuda Triangle of cinema, vanished for years without a trace and then found floating adrift in the ocean of the internet or at archive.org. There is no information about this film anywhere but there and I thought long and hard about whether or not this could be called a film. From what I can gather from the description paragraph over at the archive is that this is actually a amalgamation of many B-Japanese films. Like a kindergarten cut and past project, whoever tossed this together grabbed whatever they could, tossed it all in a blender, hit mix and hopped a cohesive story came out of it. The verdict: well, kinda? Just how many films are in this 55 minutes of unrelenting Japanese madness. I lost count. Like many alien invader films before it, and ID4 after it, the plot is not a new one. Aliens attack earth, earth retaliates, earth wins…only here earth wins with the help of GODZILLA! Yeah, no kidding, Godzilla shows up via clips from his films to battle alien monsters the aliens (who vary in look depending what film they are using) fire upon the planet. Meanwhile, up in space, the poorly dubbed saviours of humanity wage a war of not so special effects across the galaxy. With the ability to use mainly the action sequences to the films of old, the film doesn’t let up as it strives to make some kind of sense. Like cheesy 80s movies, cheesy Japanese movies have always been enjoyable to me. This one is kind of like a Greatest Hits package. I did make me wonder, though, if I could just choose 10 films at random and try to make a story out of it that sort of worked. Here, you play along too. Here’s your films: Predator, Casablanca, Hoop Dreams, The Prince of Tides, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Gone With The Wind, Once Upon a Time In The West, The Sound of Music, Die Hard and Shaft. On your mark, get set….GO!

53. Corpse Bride (2005)
Rating: ***

54. Night of the Lepus (1972)
Just when you thought is was safe to go out to the garden! Be weary, weary qwiet…the wabbits are hunting us! Falling under the “what were they thinking?” category with film villains like killer beds and condoms, comes the night the Easter Bunny went crazy! Painting all those eggs must have finally gotten to him. Unlike a film like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes that knows it’s campy and played out for laughs, Night of the Lepus actually attempts to stretch the “It’s only a rabbit” gag from Monty Python’s Holy Grail into a film expected to be taken seriously. That is where the filmmakers didn’t look before they leapt. The major fault here in portraying this as a “scary” movie is that the rabbits, no matter how many of them you toss out there, are just not scary. Perhaps this film is an homage to those gigantic beast films of yesteryear. They key with those films, however cheesy some of them may have been, was that they utilized creatures that were actually scary when blown up. Tarantulas, apes and ants worked and even films that followed Lepus that used snakes, sharks and alligators succeed in maintaining credible antagonists. Hell, even the marketing tried to avoid using the word Rabbits (the original title of the film). I suppose not much could have been done here outside of the age of CGI but maybe even glowing eyes would have placed some kind of outwardly fear into the audience. Although they tried to make the rabbits look gigantic by shooting them from below as well as some model work the “killers” still looked too cute and cuddly. Like the Mogwai, I just wanted a huge rabbit for a pet. So, once you remove the fear factor from your villain you are left with a ludicrous concept that falls flat. Of course, it didn’t help either that I couple of shots were obviously people dressed in rabbit costumes and such things should really only be reserved for Easter week shopping malls and a Furry Fetish. Were Janet Leigh and DeForest Kelley dared to do this film to test their acting chops proving they could keep straight faces? At that I say well done because I sure couldn’t when the line “Attention! Attention! Ladies and gentlemen, attention! There is a herd of killer rabbits headed this way and we desperately need your help!” was uttered.
Rating: *


12th


55. Food of the Gods (1976)
Rating: *.5

56. The Prowler (1981)
They say this film and My Bloody Valentine are exceptionally similar and I agree but both films are riding the Halloween/Friday the 13th wave that, damn it, are wave riders to Black Christmas. There’s an old mystery to solve and Deputy Dipstick and his Gal are on the case. The slasher concept had yet to be really done to death so, when viewed in the context of the time period, some of this feels fresh. I especially enjoyed the flashback that opened the film and was disappointed when we didn’t follow those characters instead of your usual crop of horny teens. I get the killers outfit but am perplexed by the usage of a pitchfork. Surely in 1981 the slasher weapon hadn’t sunk that far down, had it? You want a good drinking game with this film? Take a shot each time Deputy Dipstick leaves his Gal alone to investigate something with the knowledge that there is murder and mayhem lurking about each turn. Horror films of this type –that try to create a whodunit- can succeed like Friday the 13th did but many fall flat by utilizing the least likely suspect is going to be the most likely suspect mentality. If you cannot guess who the killer is in The Prowler within the first 15 minutes you need to turn in your horror fan badge. I kept trying to talk myself out of it because it was so obvious. And a word of advice from this armchair director: Nothing stops your horror film dead in its tracks more then a nearly 5 minute scene of a lazy lardass playing solitary.
Rating: **

57. Sheitan (2006)
33 years separate this film and Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things but the two films, even with such a gap between them, even from two very different generations of horror filmmaking and, yes, even from two separate countries have something in common. Both are nearly 90 minutes long with 60 of that 90 being excruciatingly dull. Like CSPWDT, here we also have a band of tedious and annoying young folks that I couldn’t give a shit about. Seriously, where is it that the bulk of horror movie “teen” groupings are a bunch of douchebags leaving you wondering why they even decide to befriend each other what with the teasing and towel flicking. Unlike CSPWDT, Sheitan was leading me down an unpredictable path and it held my interest at the outset as I felt something was going to happen…and I waited…and I waited…and I listened to the douches attempting to get laid…and I waited…and somewhere between minute 52 and 54 the movie lost me. You are basically waiting for two triggers to be pulled here: 1) some kind of “horror” to kick in and 2) somebody, anybody, to get some…but, Christ man, not the dog! As I learned in May, weird and different doesn’t make for good cinema alone. Take David Lynch, for example. Lynch is not everyone’s cup of tea, I understand, but a film like Eraserhead (which I have seen at least 20 times and still have trouble comprehending a lot of it) holds you because the weirdness of it all is so compelling and, in some cases, ugly you just can’t turn away from it. In Sheitan, France’s answer to Deliverance I suppose, the main characters just aren’t compelling enough to propel the absurdity. Vincent Cassel is a fine actor and the film becomes tolerable when he is on screen. However, you keep waiting for him and the film to deliver the goods instead of deliver the doll. I have read online that this has elements of comedy and horror and I found little of either. Seriously, right on the poster is says “wickedly funny”. I understand some French and this still resulted in nary a chuckle nor a scare. In fact, all I really fell right now is gyped. The end result…picture yourself waiting in line at the carnival for the new attraction we’ll call the BallRipper…never in the history of carnivaldom has there been such an amazing ride. So you wait in line for 4 and a half weeks and finally the barker ushers you own through and you are there, you can’t believe it, sitting on the BallRipper. As the gates close the people still in line give you a jealous gaze. You small. The music for the ride, Thunderstruck!, kicks in…the barker says “Awaaaaay we go” and the button is pressed…the ride moves for a second, you close your eyes and…the fucker breaks down. Maybe I’m supposed to sit down real long after this film and give it a good think about to fully give it a fair shake but, naw, this isn’t Mulholland Drive. The ads for this film also call it “hip”. Well, color me unhip. How I thought you pronounced this film is exactly what I thought of it.
Rating: *.5

58. One Dark Night (1983)
I really enjoyed the mood and atmosphere this film created while avoiding what could have been campy. The plot reads like an R.L Stein story what with teen girls and the Initiation Of The Dead mixed with Carrie. Like a few films watched this challenge it takes a bit for this film to kick in but the set up and dual stories are interesting enough to propel you into the freaky finale. This film also shows us how much the times have changed for what can be included in a PG film. Something like One Dark Night would at least clear a PG-13 nowadays. Adam West phones in a performance in this flick so a mighty fuck you Batman for not lending a hand.
Rating: **.5

13th
59. Day The World Ended (1956)
Roger Corman flicks with monsters tend to have one trait in common: all the monsters look cheesy beyond belief! Need I evidence? I give you exhibit A found in It Conquered the Earth: the deadly cave pickle. Exhibit B can be found in this film: It was a three-eyed, two horned rubber purple mule eater! The laughable monster aside (and Corman may have had the foresight to use it as little as he did) this film is one of the better flicks in the B-movie King’s 56 film output. The plot taps into a then underused end of the world storyline playing upon the then real life fears of the atomic age.
Rating: **

60. It Conquered the World (1956) MST3K Episode
No rating

61. The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
Rating: **

14th
62. The Company of Wolves (1984)
My, what big teeth this film has! The Company Of Wolves (or Sex, Lies and Werewolves) is still a unique take on the werewolf genre that hasn’t been as milked as the vampire or, at current, zombie genres. The film successfully manages to merge sexuality, horror and fairytales and the characters move about a wonderfully created gothic fantasy world that brings to mind the original Grimm Brothers fables. Note the word ORIGINAL when such tales had elements to evoke fear in their intended young readers and not some of the watered down versions you can find. Director Neil Jordon has stated that he found it difficult to create such a world with the low budget he was given but for what he had he succeeded as the environments created by the sets are as captivating as the story. The dream motif also works well in the fantasy-scape of stories and nightmares. Though the Red Riding Hood tale is a centering plot, this film is more then a simple retelling. Long have the vampire been given a sexy take in cinema. Here wolves are used around a theme of sexual innocence lost. Sure, there’s scares and gore on the outside but walk a little deeper into Neil Jordon’s woods…but keep a quick step…you never know what might be nipping at your heels.
Rating: ***

63. The Children (2008)
Well, you see, THIS is what happens when you home school. Being a childcare worker, this film is either a nightmare or a daydream. I admit to being hard on modern horror films as my reviews can contest. For a change, here are a few words of defence. One of the problems of modern horror is all the films that came before this current generations crop. Certain “scare” techniques have been recycled over and over again and it seems like horror filmmakers have rung that bell so many times that it’s now nothing more than a handle. They have set up expectations. Audiences (like the characters in Scream) know the patterns and for crazy people like me who watch 100 horror films every October the repletion can be misconstrued as unoriginal. Don’t get me wrong, in some cases it is but The Children doesn’t fall into that category. Stories of killer kiddies, for obvious reasons, don’t get made a much as they possibly should. Congrats Brits for having some balls with your tea. Kids make good baddies because of their innocence and innocence wielding an ax is some scary, scary shit especially if the innocent one hasn’t been given his AD/HD meds like the rest of his friends. Thankfully, the pint-sized monsters in this film went to the Gage School of Acting. Yet, where the film takes steps forward by being bold in its subject matter and in not really *cough*telling*cough* the audience the cause of the problem it takes a few steps back by sticking to the same old pop scare method. You’d think with its homage to the Shining the filmmakers could have taken note to make this a bit more psychological but I guess one Danny Torrence is freaky enough. I also firmly believe that all films showcasing gangs of demented murderous children should have them, at least once, shouting “Malachai!” and/or “outlander!”
Rating: **

64. Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
Rating: **.5

65. War of the Worlds (2005) ☼
As a fan of the source material (and a larger fan of the classic Orson Wells broadcast) the Spielberg adaptation was a nice surprise. Not that I doubted Mr. Spielberg as anything “alien” he tends to touch turns out well and though this is certainly not the cinema classics that are E.T. and Close Encounters Spielberg pulls off a successful telling of the War of the Worlds while also including some true to life fears in these modern times. Take, for example, Dakota Fanning’s character and her fears of terrorism or references to the Iraq war or even shots of civilians racing through the streets from clouds of smoke. When Independence Day, a film War of the Worlds has been compared to, was released a threat of an invasion on American soil was not at the forefront of the minds of most people. In the year 2005 such a threat seemed far more viable and War of the Worlds, though written by H.G. Wells in 1898, made for a great modern metaphor for our society. It is interesting to note, with it’s scenes of looting, mass confusion and cities of desperate people struggling with the disaster at hand seeming abandoned by government, that the film was released a few months before Katrina would make the above all too real. This is the last Tom Cruise film, I believe, before he himself was possessed by an alien and turned into a raving couching jumping Scientology maniac! Top notch special effects, expert directing, some great acting (including a show stealing Tim Robbins performance) and, of course, a well crafted story make this a great film. The ending falls flat a bit if only for it being rushed but Spielberg takes us on an action filled ride through the fiction while interspersing some factual frights.
Rating: ***.5

*Note: My rating is out of 4.

Spoiler:
Watch one film from every decade of film history.
-X- 1890 - Le Manior du Diable (1896)
-X- 1900 - Infernal Cauldron (1903)
-X- 1910 - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1912)
-X- 1920 - The Cat and the Canary (1927)
-X- 1930 - Maniac (1934)
-X- 1940 - Voodoo Man (1944)
-X- 1950 - A Bucket of Blood (1959)
-X- 1960 - Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General
-X- 1970 - Sisters (1973)
-X- 1980 - The 'burbs (1989)
-X- 1990 - Dr. Giggles (1991)
-X- 2000 - Scary Movie 4 (2006)
-X- 2010 - A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Watch a film for each rating:
-X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - The Cat and the Canary (1927)
-X- G - Monster's Inc. (2001)
-X- PG - The 'burbs (1989)
-X- PG-13 - Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things (1972)
-X- R - Sisters (1973)
-X- NC-17 - House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
-X- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) - I Drink Your Blood (1970)
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - The Descent (2005)

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format, (DVD), (A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)).
-X- Second format, (AVI file), (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) ).
-X- Third format, (Theatre), (Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)).

Watch a film starring:
-X- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
-X- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984))
-X- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins - La herencia Valdemar (2010)
-X- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine - The Sentinel (1977)
-X- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman - House of the Dead (2003)
-X- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David - House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
-X- Dick Miller -or- David Warner - The 'burbs (1989)
-X- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele - Shivers (1975)
-X- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif - Halloween II (2009)
-X- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon - Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
-X- First language, (German), (Dead Snow (2009)).
-X- Second language, (Japanese), (House (1977)).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - Martin (1977)
-X- Frankenstein - Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
-X- Werewolf - Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
-X- Mummy - The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
-X- Ghost/haunting -House (1977)
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General (1968)
-X- Zombie - Død snø (2009)
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac -A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Aliens (1986)
-X- Documentary - Never Sleep Again: The Making of 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'
-X- Musical - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982)
-X- Spoof/comedy - The 'burbs (1989)
-X- Revenge - May (2002)
-X- Killer/evil doll - Pin (1988)
-X- Killer/evil animal - Ben (1972)
-X- Killer/evil child - The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)
-X- Giallo - Giallo (2009)
-X- J horror - House (1977)
-X- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - The Touch of Satan (1971)
-X- film and its remake - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984))A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
-X- based on a novel - The Sentinel (1977)
-X- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West - Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)
-X- won an Academy Award -- any category - Monster's Inc. (2001)
-X- silent film - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1912)
-X- Criterion version film - Sisters (1973)
-X- with commentary - The Seventh Victim (1943) (Commentary track by Steve Haberman)
-X- film and at least two of its sequels - Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil 2(2004), Resident Evil 3(2007)
-X- anthology film - Trick 'r Treat (2007)
-X- appears on video nasties list - Cannibal ferox (1981)
-X- hosted by Elvira - Elvira Presents House of Dark Shadows
-X- takes place on a holiday - Halloween II (2009)
-X- takes place in space - Dead Space: Downfall (2008)
-X- takes place on or under the sea - The Phantom Ship (1936)
-X- animated film - Dead Space: Downfall (2008)
-X- called "Day of ..." - Day of the Dead (2008)
-X- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Lepus
-X- called "Return of ..." - The Return of Doctor X (1939)
-X- called "Revenge of ..." - Revenge of the Creature (1955)
-X- called "Attack of ..." - Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978)
-X- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - City of the Living Dead (1980)

Last edited by ViewAskewbian; 10-30-10 at 03:34 PM.
Old 09-18-10, 09:14 PM
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Re: The 6th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread



15th
66(6). Blood Feast (1963)
It’s no surprise critics back in 1963 panned this as "an insult even to the most puerile and salacious of audiences". Like Marty McFly’s heavy metal turn on Johnny B. Goode “I guess you guys aren't ready for that, yet. But your kids are gonna love it.” I couldn’t believe how ahead of it’s time was for gruesome gore Blood Feast was. My original notion that Night Of The Living Dead was the first really gore-laced mainstream film was proven very wrong. B movie legend, Herschell Gordon Lewis’s story might be a little on the silly side but where the film lacks in plot it makes up for in painting its canvass with guts and blood. If audiences were racing out and tossing their cookies over the Exorcist I can’t imagine how people seeing this in 1963 felt. I’ve read that this is the Grandfather of the splatter genre and with all the red stuff on the screen I can believe it. Okay, the acting is often atrocious and some of the plot may be laughable but this film came to shook you with violence and human innards and, in that, it succeeds.
Rating: **.5

67. The Stuff (1985)
Before Tickle Me Elmo, Pogs and Pokemon came The Stuff. You’d think going into to a film about killer ice cream would yield the same results as the films about killer beds, bunnies and *shudder* condoms but this was some pretty good stuff. Messages about consumerism and drug addiction may not be your usual horror move fodder but from the unlikely messenger, Larry Cohen, the film doesn’t knock us out with it’s underlying theme but allows us to “digest” it ourselves. While the tasty Blob wrecks havoc the population is blissfully ignorant all hyptnotized by the new fad. This is not The Stuff dreams are made of but an actual urban nightmare. Could such a world of drones to commerce exist in reality? Well, talk to the clerk over in Fredericton that was stampeded by a crowd of 300 rabid Tickle Me Elmo seekers or teens killed for their sneakers. The real horror of this film is not the substance but the subtext.
Rating: ***

68. Maniac Cop (1988)
Rating: **.5

69. Q (1982)
You’ve got your character piece crime drama mixed up with my dragon movie! Yeah, well you’ve got your dragon movie mixed up with my character piece crime drama! This movie is like a Frosted Mini-Wheat. The adult film fan in me loves the amazing acting of Michael Moriarty in movie A but the kid in me likes the sweet frosted dragon topping in movie B. Actually, the dragon part was kind of lame…just, you know, I had to make the Mini-Wheat thing make sense. Marketed with the tagline “Its name is Quetzalcoatl... just call it Q, that's all you'll have time to say before it tears you apart!", Q tears itself apart into the previously mentioned 2 films that try their best to merge together to form a coherent plot. It’s as though Cohen had two film ideas and decided to stitch them together. Thankfully one of them works. The selling point of this film, of course, is that it is a New York is ravaged by a killer monster movie. Substitute the Empire State Building with the Chrysler Building, the ape with a winged serpent (or, errr, DRAGON!) and you basically can figure out the rest. Strange, the “special” effects here are not that much better then when Kong first came to the Big Apple back in 1933. And yes I know they try to explain it but I find it pretty far fetched that people wouldn’t notice this huge “bird” (or DRAGON!...seriously, does Dragon have a copyright I don’t know about?) soaring down upon as equally unsuspecting sunbathers. Anyway, yeah, killer monster, cheesy effects, bad plot. No surprise, right? What IS a surprise is that over in Movie A we have Michael Moriarty portraying a down on his luck piano player turned con that get’s mixed up in the entire dragon dreck. You might find yourself asking yourself, as thisself did, what the guy is doing in THIS film. Obviously Moriarty has some acting chops and, as silly as it sounds, if this wasn’t a b-list monster movie I could dare say he might have been up for a best supporting actor Oscar. This is one of those performances where you don’t want the character off the screen and when said character bests the lead which, so happens to be a gigantic killer dragon-bird-serpent-Aztec God then that’s a damn fine performance.
Rating: **
Rating for Moriarty: ***.5

70. Giallo (2009)
Somebody please point me out of the alternate reality where horror master Dario Argento and Oscar winner Adrien Brody churn out this horrid piece of jaundice laced yellow crap! I’ve read that this is Argento returning to his roots…yeah, if Argento’s roots were horribly plotted, poorly written and, eek, atrociously director torture porn films! Anyone who has seen some of Argento’s early output will know the reason he is considered a master of the genre. Outside of the title of this film, named after the genre he helped forge the way for, this film deserves a big miss. The audience I viewed it with (certain horror fans to be viewing this at a midnight screening) had trouble controlling their laughter at parts of the film and showed no reaction to the rest of it. There is one line so ludicrous that I am laughing at it as I write this. Argento is a wise man in his aging years…not for making this but for distancing himself from it. I suggest the rest of us follow the master’s lead and watch some REAL Giallo.
Rating: *

16th
71. Predators (2010)
Rating: ***

72. The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Rating: **.5

73. Grindhouse: Planet Terror (2007)
Rating: ***.5

17th
74. Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007)
Rating: **

75. Cat-Women of the Moon (1953)
Wait, why were they Cat-Women? They didn't look like cats or transform into cats. They had to ability to become invisible but, despite finding a good hiding place here and there, cats don't do that. They didn't lick themselves (at least not on screen), didn't hack up a hairball and, Christ, didn't even have cat ears! In fact, there isn't a damn cat at all in this film. This is your typical B-movie cheese of the 50s folks where man visits the moon to discover a world (errr...moon) of camp and silly. You have to love a film where the climatic battle scene takes place in a few moments...OFF SCREEN! This movie teaches us that men go ga-ga for the breasted kind and gold. There's gold on that 'dar moon! Wait, I know why they are called Cat-Women! The aliens have the ability to control women. I've never seen a gal that hasn't started reverting to inane baby talk at the site of a kitten. There's your control, folks!
Rating: *

76. Frozen (2010)
As some of you have read already, It's not too often that I can say I've seen something fresh in a horror film but this film was something new. No stalkers in masks. No monsters. Here, in the icy grips of Frozen, you find real life fears. I have read online that some think the film not very believable. I am not ruining anything by saying the movie is about a trio who find themselves stuck and abandoned on a ski lift. I suppose the notion of a killer haunting our dreams is more plausible or perhaps such reviewers find a dish of reality an unexpected supper. I, for one, thought it was amazing how the film made me feel claustrophobic in such an open landscape as it still managed to maintain it's encapsulated space. I had my doubts at the outset. The acting started out as your typical douche bag young people movie but once we got out onto that left the actors turned out some great performances. When the real terror of it all grips the characters, in a lesser movie, we would have had the male leads continue to play the "macho" role but in this film the characters were overcome by their fear and openly admit to it. I also like films that get me thinking and this one made me wonder what I would do in this type of situation and, man, I couldn't imagine. That's where the real fright lies. In most modern horror films (and, let's face it, in those 80s flicks I grew up on) I seldom really felt for the characters plight. In Frozen I did care about the characters and there were a few really amazing moments of tenderness, horror, embarrassment and sadness created in a believable way. Great film.
Rating: ***.5

18th
77. Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
I am a huge Abbot and Costello fan and though this flick is probably their most popular it is not their most humorous. Bud is actually pretty damned annoying in this one screaming and wailing through the bulk of it. Gone is the bulk of the zippy dialogue that makes this duo great and in its place we got the Universal Monsters romping, hiding and creeping through some silly shit. Seriously, Drac, just jump out and bite him! It was inevitable that Universal would merge its two biggest franchises at one point and, yes, this movie was a classic but I just feel a bit more attention needed to be paid to the world the previous monster movies created. For example: Dracula has a reflection. Come on, folks, that’s an easy one to get rid of. Frankie walks into fire on purpose. What happened to `fire bad!`. I guess I am nitpicking. I mean, hey, don’t even get me started on how many days in a row of full moons this movie had (though this is a common gripe of mine in the universal Wolfman movies). I guess each franchise here was hurt by the other as they tried to balance screen time. We had to cut some laughs from Bud and Lou and we had to cut some spookiness from the Monsters. Why this film is called Meet Frankenstein when Franki is the monster with the least amount of screen time is beyond me. There were some laughs here but I think the film falls a bit under its own weight of having such a huge cast of fame to play with. Awww, who am I kidding…I watch this flick every year.
Rating: **.5

78. Dr. Giggles (1992)
Dr. Giggles is one of those films with a side story told in flashback that is far more interesting then the main plot. In this instance that main plot being a cookie cutter slasher movies that tries to take a stab at comedy ala the Elm Street sequels (that is until Wes slapped some fear back into Fred). Ugh, like Freddy and Chucky…comedy and slasher do not always gel well. Dr. Giggles should have been called Dr. Gags is rated for the comedic elements. As I was saying, the back story here would have made for a better story, a similar tale to Freddy’s origins but with enough difference to not make it a complete rip. The ending of THAT film would culminate in the most horrific scene in THIS film which was actually very effective (He was reborn!). I kept having to tell myself that the lead in this film was NOT Neve Cambell as she screeched about through slasher cliché after slasher cliché. Watch Dr. Giggles for the slits and giggles but don’t expect many giggles.

79. Tourist Trap (1979)
When Carrie met Leatherface. Tourist Trap, while taking a lot from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (including a mask which looks nearly identical at times), managers to hold it’s own in the fright factor being just peculiar enough to skitter around some of the more campy aspects. As is generally the case here you have your group of idiot young people lining up for the slaughter. The successes of these films are judged by their villain and our baddy in this one is a nice combo of Tobe Hooper and David Lynch. The set design is nice and creepy what with all the Kim Catrell`s all over the place and though some have blighted the film for the more supernatural elements that is what I liked the most. It added an air of difference to what could have been just another Kids Enter Spooky Home And Meet The Inevitable movie. Though the twist is a bit predictable, the set up is nice. I like when things go unexplained in horror movies and this one doesn’t reveal why our demented nut can do what he can do but allows us to dwell upon it. His `powers` also give more for the victims to have to overcome. If Carrie can take out an entire prom then how can these kids escape?

80. Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)☼

19th
81. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
82. Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
83. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
84. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

20th
85. Monster's Inc. (2001)
86. Deathdream (1974)
87. House (1986)
88. House 2 (1987)
89. House (1977)☼

21st
90. Day of the Dead (2008)☼
91. The Return of Doctor X (1939)☼
92. Shivers (1975)☼
93. The Real Amityville Horror (2005)☼
94. Revenge of the Creature (1955)
95. The Mask of Satan (1960)☼
96. The Brain Eaters (1958)☼



22nd
97. Massacre in Dinosaur Valley (1985)☼
98. Night of the Ghouls (1959)☼
99. The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1995)☼
100. John Carpenter: Fear Is Just the Beginning... The Man and His Movies (2004)☼
101. Pieces (1982)☼

23rd
102. Flowers in the Attic (1987)☼
103. The Black Museum (1988)☼
104. The Horror at 37000 Feet (1973)☼
105. The Haunted History of Halloween (1997)
106. Warlock (1989)☼

24th
107. House of the Dead (2003)☼
108. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
109. The Ghost And Mr Chicken (1966)☼
110. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) ☼
111. Trick 'r Treat (2007)
112. High Tension (2003)☼

25th
113. Dementia 13 (1963)☼
114. Pin (1988)☼
115. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)☼
116. The Uninvited (1944)☼

26th
117. The Beach Girls and the Monster (1965)☼
118. The Hole (2009)☼
119. The Human Centipede First Sequence (2009)☼
120. The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster (1999)
122. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)☼


27th

123. Resident Evil (2002)☼
124. Resident Evil 2(2004)☼
125. Resident Evil 3(2007)☼

28th
126. Alice Sweet Alice (1976)☼
127. Nightmare City (1980)☼
128. The Silence of the Lambs: Page to Screen (2001)☼

29th
129. Selection of TV Specials: It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XVI☼, Disney's Halloween Treat
130. Hannibal Rising (2007)☼
131. The Descent (2005)☼
132. The Golem (1920)☼


30th
133. Wolf Blood (1925)☼
134. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
135. Shorts: Boo (1932), Elvira Presents House of Dark Shadows, Frankenweenie (1984)☼, Judith: The Night She Stayed Home (2010)☼
136. The Vampire Bat (1933)
137. Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)☼
138. La herencia Valdemar (2010)☼
139. The Monster Squad (1987)

31st
140. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
141. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
142. Halloween (1978)

Last edited by ViewAskewbian; 10-31-10 at 09:32 PM.

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