[Pizza]

Pizza vs. October Horror Movie Challenge

MOVIE/MONSTER RATINGS ARE BASED ON A SCALE OF 10

Oct. 1

1. Army of Darkness - I finally watched my hd-dvd version of this flick. I was a fan of this film when it was first released and everyone originally hated it. It had opened on my birthday back then and it made for a great day. It also made for a great way to get me started and charged up for this challenge.
Movie rating: 8
Monster rating: 8 - You gotta love talking skeletons

2. Hatchet - After reading the extreme reviews on this film, I had to check it out. I'm in the middle on this one. I didn't like the stupid dialogue and jokes but I did like the monster stuff.
Movie rating: 5
Monster rating: 7

3. Abominable - I watched this one with the wife who kept jumping out of her seat. I'm a sucker for monsters and felt the bigfoot suit had a certain "Lost in Space" charm about it.
Movie rating: 6
Monster rating: 6
The DVD's picture quality looked like crap.

Oct. 2

4. The Return of Dracula - I haven't seen this B&W creeper since I was a kid. I was surprised by the brief edit of full color when Jenny was staked. That ingenious moment made the film for me.
Movie rating: 6
Monster rating: 6 - Dracula has looked better.

5. The Vampire- Another B&W flick I haven't seen since I was a kid. I liked the drug subtext but the flick hasn't aged well.
Movie rating: 3
Monster rating: 2

6. The Strangers - I got an advance screener of this one. Nice atmosphere but there wasn't much story.
Movie rating: 5

Oct. 3

7. 30 Days of Night - I love vampire movies and saw this on opening day at the theater when it was first released. I didn't like it. Just gave it a second chance via DVR. . .still didn't like it.
Movie rating: 3
Monster rating: 6 - Good make-up if a little over the top.

8. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead - Local indie theater, the Cinematheque, is showing this latest Troma film with Lloyd Kaufman in tow this weekend. Lloyd is funny as always in introducing his film. The flick is typical Troma fare if you know what I mean.
Movie rating: If you're a Troma fan 7 - If not 1
Monster rating: 2 - Come on. They're zombie chickens. How good can that possibly look?

Oct. 4

9. Opera - Finally, I dig into the DVDs that have been sitting on my shelves for a good while unwatched. This is why I decided to join this challenge. I enjoyed this one and was quite impressed with the revelation scene in the opera house.
Movie rating: 7

10. Phantom of the Paradise - Another title sitting around on the shelves. Seemed like this would be a nice double bill with "Opera." Playing a Faust-type character, this is Paul Williams greatest (and possibly only) performance in horror.
Movie rating: 6

11. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hush - After watching two movies that had subtexts on singing, I thought it'd be fun to watch this classic episode where everyone loses their voice.
Movie rating: 10
Monster rating: 10
Wildcard 1

Oct. 5

12. Bay of Blood - I had to go to a party on Saturday evening. We get home late, my wife goes to bed and I'm tired, but I figure I'd try for a midnight screening with this flick. I had to play it through twice to see the whole thing as I kept falling asleep. I'm going to have to buy some caffeine pills or something. I was surprised at how bloody it was.
Movie rating: 6

13. Black Sunday - With it being Sunday how could I not watch this flick today? Barbara Steele's wide-eyed face with nail holes scared the crap out of me as a kid. The musical score makes a few scenes hokier than they need be. Still, an effective horror film.
Movie rating: 8
Monster rating: 10 - Barbara Steele looks so-o-o-o-o creepy in this.

14. The Howling - It seems like only yesterday when I saw this flick at the theater with my dad. This film contains some of my favorite werewolf effects and make-up. Having the beautiful Dee Wallace scores big points from me, too. Too bad they sold the brand for a bunch of cheapo sequels.
Movie rating:8
Monster rating:10 - My favorite make-up for werewolves.

XX. The Howling/commentary - While typing my reviews of the films I watched today, I turned on the commentary track for The Howling as background noise. After about a half hour I got hooked and had to listen to the entire track. It's a fun chat between director Joe Dante and his cast.

Oct. 6

15. Pit and the Pendulum - Still a classic in my book. I bought the DVD a long time ago and I can't believe it has taken me this long to finally watch it. Vincent Price is at his hammy best. (I must brag how I met and interviewed Price back in the mid seventies. Super nice man.) The film is short but terrific.
Movie rating: 8
The DVD is colorful but non-anamorphic.

Oct. 7

Sadly, I worked over 19 hours today so no movie watching for me. However, I did check the board to see what you guys were watching.

Oct. 8

16. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Cast Reunion Panel - I picked this up Sunday at BB and finally watched it today. If you're a Buffy fan then it's a must have. Audio was bad but the talk was entertaining. No real revelations but it was great to see most of the cast members together again.
Content rating: 6
Wildcard 2.

Oct. 9

17. Basket Case - This was a movie I've meant to catch for the longest time. Now that I have, I'm disappointed. It's got a sleazy vibe to it that I couldn't get past. I found the ending weak. I know this is cult cinema but it wasn't for me.
Movie rating:4
Monster rating:4 - I sort of liked the rubber doll creature but the stop-motion version was lame.

18. Prom Night - I remember being disappointed in this flick back in 1980. Still, that was 28 years ago and when it went on sale for $4 I couldn't resist picking it up. Well, it's still a dull film, but at least now it has unintended laughs thanks in part to leslie Nielsen's acting and Jamie Lee Curtis's amusingly over-the-top teen dance routine.
Movie rating:4
Viewed for laughs:6
The DVD's picture quality is quite poor.

Oct. 10

19. The Duxorcist - Actually, I watched three of the later Looney Tunes that revolve around horror spoofs: The Duxorcist; The Night of the Living Duck; and Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers. Duxorcist is the best of the bunch with Living Duck a close second. Both made me laugh. I can honestly say that Bunny Snatchers is the worst Looney Tunes cartoon I have ever seen. An extremely odd entry that desperately borrows an old gag or two for laughs while spinning an inane plot. At least the title's cool.
My rating is for The Duxorcist.
Movie rating:5
Monster rating:4 - A possessed female duck is undermined by poor design and weak animation.
Wildcard 3

I am off on a trip with my wife. We're driving up to Niagra Falls for our anniversary. She is kind enough to drive (thanks, honey!) and that allows me enough time to woof down two movies via the portable DVD player.

20. Madhouse - I have never seen this Vincent Price movie before and had meant to watch a few years earlier when I bought the DVD. It's starts off rather slow, but I enjoyed the last half hour or so and liked the gimicky ending. Overall, the story needs to be streamlined. There are too many subplots and characters, such as the spider lady.
Movie rating:4
Sadly, the DVD is non-anamorphic, which makes the picture even smaller on my tiny portable..

21. The Tingler - I thought I'd be bored with The Tingler. Instead, I had a giggly good time with it. Sure, it's cheap cheese, but it really hit the spot. I loved the brief but effective use of color. I was also faked out by one twist in the plot.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:6 - I know it's just a cheap rubber bug, but that is what made it so endearing to me.

Oct. 11

Today is my fifth wedding anniversary. Sorry, but no time for watching movies!

Oct. 12

21. Bad Dreams - I got up early to watch this one and was left very disappointed. The movie has a slick look about it, but the ending is inconsistent with the rest of the story. The alternate ending - that is included on the DVD - felt more in line with the story than the one used.
Movie rating:4
Monster rating:5 - Well done but typical scarred-up face.

22. The Entity - I was surprised at how effective this flick was in delivering suspense. The over-the-top ending that includes robotic arms spraying liquid helium pulls it down a notch. Still, Barbara Hershey is really good in this. The score by Charles Bernstein is powerful and adds big punch to an invisible foe. (The bonus doc on the DVD doesn't help sell the real-life story.)
Movie rating:7

23. The Oblong Box - Not bad Edgar Allen Poe flick that feels more like a Hammer production. Vincent Price is great, as always, but Christopher Lee is given a very weak character to portray. I'd rather he had played the disfigured Edward. Still, a well-done flick.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:3 - I really liked the simplicity to Edward's red mask but his bland scarred face couldn't support the huge build-up to its unveiling.

Oct. 13

24. [Rec] - I first heard of this flick earlier in the year on the Howard Stern show. Then, I was reading the posting boards here and read how folks were referring to a film by REC. I thought it was the initials of some other film until someone clued me in that it was this flick. So, I watched it last night at midnight. I liked it alot. I found it creepy and atmospheric. Surprisingly, I didn't find it very scary and felt it was slow in spots. It's still well made and definitely worth the time to check out.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:5 - I wish the camera gave us a better look at the creatures.

25. Quarantine - I'm on vacation this week and had lunch with a longtime chum. Since I was already out and about, I decided to check out the American remake of the above title, [REC]. There's a few changes, but Quarantine stays pretty close to the original. It gets a point less for feeling too slick because films like this and The Blair Witch Project feel more authentic the less flashy they are presented.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:5 - See comment above for [REC].

26. The Thing - I finally watched the HD of my favorite Carpenter film. I originally saw this at a sneak preview on a Saturday night. It was the summer of ET and the public wanted their aliens to be sweet and cuddly. I still recall how the audience negatively reacted to the film. Even my dear, late dad didn't like it. On the other hand, I loved every minute of it. It was clearly a film ahead of its time and is still a terrific film. The various forms of the thing are awesome, especially that spider head. One of the most creative monster movies out there. I also love the score.
Movie rating:9
Monster rating:10 - There was nothing like it when first released. The monster effects were revolutionary for its time.

Oct. 14

27. The Hills Have Eyes - I have never felt a strong urge to see this flick. I'm not a fan of Wes Craven's first film, "The Last House on the Left," and figured this would be more of the same. (However, I am a huge fan of "Nightmare on Elm Street" and his work that followed.) I was totally blown away by the 2006 remake and thought Alexandre Aja succeeded at making a truly scary flick. I realized I had to see the original and bought the 2 disc set sometime ago. I finally watched it and didn't like it. (I know I'm in the minority.) I do admire its raw horror edge but I give full credit to Michael Berryman's distinctive appearance as being the film's main strength. It is his image on the poster art that makes you want to see this flick.
Movie rating:4
Monster rating:8 - Berryman really deserves a percent of the film's profits for his visual contribution.

28. Mr. Vampire - I didn't know this was a comedy. I had read awhile back that vampires hop in Chinese films. Curious, I picked this title up a few years back to check it out. They do indeed hop. Other novel twists to the folklore include holding your breath to hide from a vampire. Also, sticky rice can stop a victim from turning. Some of the humor is juvenile but is alwasy fun. It has the same comic tone as a Jackie Chan movie only without Chan. I watched the English track with subtitle while occassionally flipping back to the orignal language. For some odd reason, the English dub has the characters refer to the monsters zombies instead of vampires while the subtitles refer to them as vampires.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:6 - The various vampires look pretty cool.

29. A Tale of Two Sisters - Wow. This is some heavy stuff. You need to watch this movie twice to catch all the details. I replayed several scenes to help grasp what I was watching. Very atmospheric, beautifully photographed, this dark tale slowly presents a complex, cold chiller.
Movie rating:7

Oct. 15

30. The Ghost Galleon - Utter waste of time. Plot features the Blind Dead against swimsuit models. Guess who wins? The flick needed more swimsuit models.
Movie rating:2
Monster rating:4 - The Blind Dead look silly on a boat.
Swimsuit Models rating:6 - They're cute. Wish there were more.

PERSONAL GOAL REACHED 31. Night of the Seagulls - With so much going on in my life at present I really didn't believe I'd be able to reach my flick-a-day goal so quickly. Still, here I am half way through the month and I've made it. As for "Seagulls," I can't believe this is considered the weakest of the Blind Dead films. It's way better than "Galleon" and is a solid creeper.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:6 - The Blind Dead look better on horses than on a boat.
Swimsuit Models rating:0 - There isn't any, but the actress portraying Lucy is cute.

Oct. 16

32. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wild at Heart - Another pivotal episode in Buffy that marches the series in a new direction. It's Oz's swan song but what a way to go, finding himself a werewolf in heat.
Movie rating:8
Monster rating:3 - The werewolf make-up in this series never looked good. .
Wildcard 4.

33. Planet Terror - I"m a fan of "Grindhouse" and I'm still surprised at how poorly it did at the box office. There's no real reason why I watched this feature over "Death Proof," which I may watch later this month. I would love to see the missing reel!
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:7

34. The War of the Gargantuas - I don't know why I like this movie, but I always find it fun to watch. I even like the way the Gargantuas look. I watched the original Japanese version, which refers to the monsters as Frankensteins (a reference to "Frankenstein Conquers the World"), I may try to watch the American one later on.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:7 - I admit the effects and monster costumes are bad, but for some reason it works for me.

35. The Gorgon - I am so glad to finally see this released on DVD because this is one of my favorite Hammer films. It's always great to see Lee and Cushing together. It's also a pleasure to see the very beautiful Barbara Shelley, one of many Hammer ladies of horror.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:7 - I know the snakes in the hair look fake but I really like the overall design of the Gorgon and is my favorite of the various cinema variations.

Oct. 17

36. The Two Face of Dr. Jeckyll - I've never seen this version of the classic and tale and liked it very much. Just like Jerry Lewis's famous comic take, Hyde is the dashing one of the pair here but still monstrous. Christopher Lee lends a hand as an anti-hero type and, surprise, the red-headed beauty Barbara Shelley is back to add eye candy to the film.
Movie rating:6

37. Battle Royale - A shocking storyline makes this Japanese tale a riveting one to watch. To keep the youth in check, an adult goverment selects one class full of students for a dangerous game of kill or be killed. The game lasts for 3 days and only one can survive. Wild, suspenseful and shocking, this is nothing like the Toho movies many of us grew up watching on TV.
Movie rating:8

38. Vampire Circus - It's back to Hammer and if there is one type of horror genre they did well, it was the vampire movie. This is quite a bizarre (in a good way) one that has a circus of vampires pay a visit to a small town for revenge.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:7 - The vampire fangs are big and sharp.

39. The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror - The first "Treehouse of Horror" is from the second season and was the third episode. And 1,2,3, it became an instant classic and tradition. Of the three tales here "Hungry Are The Damned" is my favorite.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:8 - The debut of Kang and Kodos. What more needs to be said?
Wildcard 5

40. Psycho II - I thought they were spitting into the wind when they announced a sequel to the immortal "Psycho." Then, I saw the movie and loved it. It is way underrated. Everyone is great in this. Anthony Perkins is fabulous and Meg Tilly was a perfect complement.
Movie rating:7

41. Dracula: Prince of Darkness - I haven't seen this one in quite a long time despite having three unviewed copies of it on DVD. This is very atmospheric and creepy. Christopher Lee is a scary Count and his resurrection is an eerie delight. This wraps up a long day of movie watching.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:9 - Lee reinvents the role of Dracula and makes it his own.

Oct. 18

42. Maniac Cop 2 - I actually like this one better than the original. I had to pull out my LD of this as it has yet to see R! DVD release. Maybe I'll break down and get the import. Anyway, this one has more action in it and the fiery finale is pretty good.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:6

43. Rodan - I watched the original Japanese cut. I wish they had more of Rodan and less of the giant bugs. Still cool to watch vehicles flip from the air current caused by the flap of giant wings. I still don't understand the ending and why they didn't fly off.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:8

44. Tenebre - I was visiting the in-laws in another state. After a long day I slipped this one in my laptop. Wowzer! I was really knocked out by this great slasher flick. I wasn't sure if I was in the mood for Argento but this one really hit the horror spot.
Movie rating:8

Oct. 19

45. Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday - This was the only Jason flick that I haven't seen and was happy to find it at Walmart for $6. I don't think it is as bad as it has been made out to be. I especially love the explosive beginning. The final shot is classic.
Movie rating:5
Monster rating:5

46. Cat People - Nastassja Kinski looks so beautiful in this movie and was the main reason why I wanted to see it back when it was released. I remember being shocked at how sexual the movie was instead of being a simple horror story.
Movie rating:6

Oct. 20

47. Cat People - I must admit that this movie never really impressed me as much as it does everyone else. Great use of atmosphere and black & white photography but the characters and plot just don't grab me. I especially don't like the ending.
Movie rating:5

48. The Curse of the Cat People - I found this movie to be a complete bore.
Movie rating:3

Oct. 21

Another long day at work.

Oct. 22

49. Phase IV - I didn't like this movie much when I saw it on TV a long time ago - mostly because the ants weren't giant mutants - but I must say I really enjoyed watching it today. Intelligent ants are very creepy. (One more to go before hitting the big five-O.)
Movie rating:7

Oct. 23

50. Bride of Frankenstein - I didn't think I'd reach 50 movies watched in this challenge. With that, I felt I should watch a true classic to celebrate. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest horror films ever made. Everything is perfect. I never grow tired watching Boris, Elsa and Colin perform their iconic roles. Director James Whale out did himself as did makeup artist Jack P. Pierce.
Movie rating:10
Monster rating:10 - Pierce's brilliant makeup design created the two most memorable monsters of filmdon.

51. Pumpkinhead - I remember being disappointed in this when I saw it in the theater. I know I loved the monster but thought the story was a bad fit for it. I didn't have that issue this time around. The monster is still cool as hell and I could appreciate the darkness of the story.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:8

52. Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead - Maybe I should have stopped after two flicks but I had a hard time trying to get into this. It has a great look but the pacing and the cast just didn't feel right. Some interesting plot points with the gorgeous Jessica Lowndes playing your typical nice girl who's about to cross the line into sexuality despite her over-protective mom. I got a feeling that if I watch this again I'll dig it a lot more.
Movie rating:5

Oct. 24

53. Masters of Horror: Jenifer - Sorry, but I couldn't buy any guy having sex - let along leave his family - with such a hideous looking creature as Jenifer no matter how wonderful her body is. I will say this episode has a major ick factor to it thanks to one key sex scene. The ending is too obvious.
Movie rating:5
Monster rating:7 - There's no denying the creepy factor in jenifer.

54. I, Madman - I completely forgot that I watched this movie on Friday night. I had seen this in the theater and liked it. I can't say the same this time. First, I was very disappointed to discover that the DVD is full frame. I did blow it up, cropping the top and bottom, and the composition looked solid so maybe there is image added to make it 4:3. Anyway, I was kind of bored with it this time. The make-up is pretty good and I always welcome stop-motion monsters. It still didn't have the punch I felt from my initial visit.
Movie rating:5 - Great concept but could have been better executed.
Monster rating:8 - The face of the titled "madman" is cool. Plus, I loved the stop-motion monster.

55. Abbott and Costello meet Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde - I had received an advance copy of the box set of their movies (which is awesome) and couldn't resist to watch a flick or two. I had an 8mm reel of this film and watched it alot as a kid. This is my first chance in seeing the entire film and loved it. I should add that I am a huge Abbott and Costello fan (Boris Karloff, too) so my rating is a bit biased.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:6

Oct. 25

56. Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein - One of my alltime favorites. In my youth, I would never miss this when it aried on TV. This was a terrific send-off to the Uni monsters. I love this flick.
Movie rating:10
Monster rating:10 - All the great Universal monsters. Nice!

57. Masters of Horror:Homecoming - I love dark satire, especially when it involves zombies. War is hell and has made this the best MOH episode I've seen so far.
Movie rating:7
Monster rating:6

Oct. 26

58. Mad Monster Party - I saw this when it was a weekend matinee. I got in trouble with my mom because I sat through it twice and was late calling her for a ride back home. It was worth it. I watched it twice today as a tribute to that childhood memory. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who loves this animated creature feature.
Movie rating:8
Monster rating:10 - Mad cartoonist Jim Davis' design work is outstanding.

Oct. 27

59. I Come in Peace - Why isn't this availble as an R1 release? I had to break out my LD. I know it's cheese but I really love cheese. Brian Benben (I always trip over his last name) certainly tries hard at playing second banana to Dolph Lundgren. An entertaining flick.
Movie rating:6
Monster rating:5

Oct. 28

18 hours on the job. Nuff said.

Oct. 29

60. Amazing Stories: Go to the Head of the Class - I bought this laserdisc a long time ago for "Family Dog" (I'm a huge animation fan), which is on side 2. On side 1 is this Robert Zemeckis horror comedy that totally surprised me when I first watched it. It still packs a spooky punch to the funny bone. Christopher LLoyd is great, creepy fun.
Movie rating:7
Wildcard 6

Oct. 30

61. Murders in the Rue Morgue - Filled with silly dream sequences, this is one bad dream ndeed. I thought I couldn't lose with a cast that includes Jason Robarbs and Herbert Lom but everyone is lifeless in their performances. The film does have a beautifully atmospheric look to it. The cinemtography is top notch. Too bad it fails in every other area including too many fake endings.
Movie rating:2

62. Cry of the Banshee - I should go to bed but instead I flip over my DVD and watch this Vincent Price ham fest. I saw this when it was in the theaters and recalled it being talky. Still is and good old Vincent really is in over-acting mood. They could have done a better job with the banshee make-up. The ending is the best thing.
Movie rating:3
Monster rating:51

October 31

The Final Day

63. An American Werewolf in London - I worked a half day today to give me a little extra time to watch a couple of movies on this final day of the challenge. I've been saving a few titles, starting with this dark beauty. I always admired this flick and it is still a fabulous film that easily walks between pure horror and black comedy. The cast is perfect (I briefly listened to the commentary track after watching and was surprised to hear that David Naughton and Griffin Dunne didn't do screen tests for their roles) but I have to give extra credit to Jenny Agutter who is the warm counter-balance to the cold horror. I have seen this flick several times in its initial run at the theater and have bought it 5 times on home video (two laserdiscs, two DVDs and one HD-DVD) so John Landis has deservedly made his money off of me.
Movie rating:10
Monster rating:7

64. The Shining - It's funny, but I wasn't wowed by this film the first time I saw it in the theater. Watching a featurette on the HD revealed neither was Steven Spielberg who said the film grew on him over the years. I agree and feel that The Shining was simply ahead of the curve when it first illuminated movie screens in 1980 and it took time for us to catch up to it. I seem to recall reading at the time that it was shortened a week after its release. Good thing I saw it the first day. Redrum! Redrum!
Movie rating:10

65. Psycho - I felt that this would be an appropriate film to end my challenge on. I first saw this at a midnight screening with, I kid you not, King Kong Escapes. I did not know about the now famous twist and was shocked by the first murder. The film remains flawless to this day. I watched the new Special Edition and was pleased that it is anamorphic but thought the picture looked soft. Then again, I just watched two HD DVDs before it so it may be an unfair comment.
Movie rating:10


Final comments: I was going to watch another flick but felt that would only ruin the trio of classic films I just watched (all three were 10s) that made for a nice capper to this challenge. I watched over double the amount of films that I thought I would and had a great time doing it. My sincere thanks to Chad for setting up this event.