[Darth Maher]

Contest Goal: None
Personal Goal: Watch at least ONE Halloween or horror related movie/show/etc per day in October.Watch more Halloween/horror than I currently am watching.
* = First Time Viewings
• = Halloween related but not eligible for the challenge

The Warm-Up:

September 26th
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, DVD from Library)

September 27th
• The Haunted Mansion: Secrets Revealed (2004, DVD)


The Real Deal:

October 6th
1. Nosferatu* (1922, DVD)
After an extremely late start, my horse has finally left the gate. This is my first time seeing this movie all the way through... And although I respect this movie for what it is, I didn't love it. At first, I thought that maybe it was because it was a silent movie, but then I remembered how much I loved "The General" with Buster Keaton. Maybe after watching "Shadow of the Vampire", I'll have a new love for this one.

October 7th
2. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: "Mickey's Treat" (2002, DVD) [WILD CARD #1]
• The Berenstain Bears: "Trick or Treat" (2004, DVD)
• Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular (2003, DVD)
• Dora The Explorer: Dora's Halloween (2004, DVD)
A day at home with my 4 year old, who was sick. In addition to numerous kids' shows, I convinced her to watch a few Halloween related ones. Since they are relatively short in length, I'll count them as one Wild Card.

October 11th
3. Mickey's House of Villains (2002, DVD) [WILD CARD #2]
You'll notice that my list will have several kid-friendly titles on them. With a 4 year old and a 1-1/2 year old, it is unavoidable unless I want to become a inattentive husband/dad, which I do not. However, I would probably watch this DVD anyway as it is a lot of fun. The subplot about the villains trying to take over the House of Mouse is kind of silly, but the shorts that are what make this collection great.
4. The Paul Lynde Halloween Special* (1976, DVD) [WILD CARD #3]
This is my first time seeing this special after hearing about it for the past few years. I watched it purely for a nostalgic feeling and that's exactly what I got. I wasn't expecting to be blown out of the water, nor was I. It was interesting to see what was considered funny back in the 70s when I was just a wee lad. I was a little surprised/disappointed at how non-Halloween the actual skits were on this "Halloween" special.

October 12th
5. Shadow of the Vampire* (2000, DVD from Library)
I enjoyed this one. It did make me like "Nosferatu" a little more as I had suspected.
• Archie's Weird Mysteries: Attack of the Killer Spuds* (2004, DVD)
Short, fun and semi-kid friendly. The "killer" potatoes made my 4 year old a little uneasy at first. Then she wanted to watch it again.

October 14th
6. Curse of the Black Widow (1977, DVD)
Ya know, this movie wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. Not that it was
great by any means... Its just that there are so many movies that you watch when you are a kid and you love it, only to watch it as an adult and be disappointed. Only I KNEW this movie was cheesy back when i first saw it. Watching it now just confirmed it. Still fun to watch.

October 16th
• Archie's Weird Mysteries: "Scarlet Night"* (2004, DVD)
A little scarier than the previous Archie episode, but my daughter got over her fear quickly.

October 17th
7. Night of the Creeps (1986, DVD)
How is this NOT ON DVD!?!?!?! Just an awesome movie.

October 19th
8. The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror IX" (1998, DVD) [WILD CARD #4]
Some of the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes are hit or miss, but they are always fun to watch. I would definitely buy another DVD compilation of these if it were released.

October 23rd
• Happy Days: "Haunted" (1974, DVD)
Richie sees something scary in the old house where Ralph's Halloween party is to take place. Nostalgic, harmless, halloween fun.

October 24th
9. Halloween (2007, DVD)
I just kept telling myself... at least Busta Rhymes isn't in this one. While not a terrible movie, I didn't love it. I wanted to watch Halloween, but not the original yet so I threw this one in.

October 25th
10. Mad Monster Party (1969, Theater)
I played the Frankenstein monster for the kiddies at a local movie theater, then took in this classic from Rankin-Bass. I think this was the first time I saw the whole movie all the way through.
• Hal Roach's Rascals: "Spook Spoofing' (1928, DVD)
I found this at the library. More silly, Halloween fun
11. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966, DVD) [WILD CARD #5]
I have a feeling that I'll end of missing the television airing of this so I watched the DVD instead. Total classic!
• Home Improvement: "I Was A Teenage Taylor" (1996, DVD)
Tim "The Toolman" Taylor and his family always had some decent Halloween episodes.

October 26th
• Home Improvement: "The Haunting of Taylor House" (1992, DVD)
More Halloween fun from the Taylor family.

October 29th
12. Spooktacular! Spooktacular!! (2008, Adobe Premiere) [WILD CARD #6]
I spent so much of this Halloween season editing this damn thing that I decided to count it was a Wild Card. It is my public access show covering local haunted houses in the chicago suburbs.

October 31st
13. The Midnight Hour (1985, DVD)
For some unknown reason... one that still has me confused, I didn't feel like watching Halloween. Anyway... I threw in this fun, made-for-tv movie instead. Maybe I just needed something more lighthearted.


Post-Halloween Viewing:

November 1st
• Universal Horror* (1998, Chiller TV)
Great documentary about classic Universal horror movies. After an extremely lackluster Halloween viewing season, this was a great coda to the challenge for me.

November 2nd
• The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror XIX"* (2008, Fox)
One of the better recent TOH episodes.


This completes my list for the 2008 Horror Movie Challenge. Heck, my Wild Cards make almost half of the stuff I counted. I just didn't have that "Halloween feeling" this year. There was just way too much going on in life and it seemed to creep up on me, then fly by like an express train. As I've said in challenges past, hopefully next year will be better.