DVD Talk Forum - View Single Post - The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1

dcrw6 · 09-19-09, 09:50 AM

For the last few years, my work and school has worn me out for this, but this year I plan on not letting them drag me down and plowing through as many as I can around them. I've got an easy couple of thousand to pick from and I've been starving myself of horror for about five months now waiting for this. My goal for this year is to get through 60 movies with at least a 50% ratio of previously seen and first time viewing movies.
Color= First time viewing

October 1st:

1. Jaws- Humans vs. Shark. A classic film to start out with. Jaws never gets old and I still can't come up with anything bad to say about it. It's got the right mix of humor, suspense, and adventure to make what is always an entertaining experience. 5 out of 5 chum buckets.
"Anyway, we delivered the bomb."

2. Plague Town- Stupid Americans vs. Irish Defects. An American family goes on a search for their ancestral roots only to find the locals have a problem with their offspring. About as big of a meh as you can get with a horror movie. Not very exciting but not bad enough to turn off The spotty acting really brings down the production value along with a pretty uneventful tone throughout. The spots of unintentional comedy help to liven it up a touch. If you've seen the After Dark Horrorfest movie Wicked Little Things, it's a perfect companion to that, in both quality and story. 1.5 out of 5 googly eyes.
"Better come with me, sweetheart. I'd hate to see you go to waste."

3. The Dead Pit- Nutballs vs. Zombies. A Jane Doe is pulled into an asylum claiming her memories had been stolen from her brain and finds an undead scientist working to harvest brains for his zombie army. One of those so bad they're good movies that only the 80's could have pulled off. The main actress seems to prefer wearing super-small cutoff shirts while the main actor has such a pronounced brow, his eyes seem to disappear at times. I ended up being fixated on that most of the time he popped up. The lighting was cool and the effects were pretty good for such a low budget. A movie that's perfect to recreate your own little MST3K episode. 2.5 out 5 melting zombies.
"For dead people they sure are smart."

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy vs. Teens. I loved this growing up, but it seems as though every time I watch it as an adult, it lessens a little bit more. I can see now just how bad of an actress Heather Lagenkamp was and the last twenty minutes just get more and more laughable every time. It's pretty obvious no one knew how to end it and just wanted to wrap it up. But there are still a lot of effective scenes and Freddy definitely still makes an impression. I'd still rate it highly but it does have its flaws. 4 out 5 flamin' Freddys.
"He's been in the John pukin' since he saw it."

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2- Freddy vs. Homo-eroticism. Most talk about this movie tends to focus on the homosexual subtext that can be found, but to be honest, I never even noticed it until like the fifteenth viewing. In fact, there's a lot of aspects that hold up better to me than the original, and when you do pay attention to the gay undertones, it just makes it a deeper movie to me. It's creepy and feels dirty when you're watching it, largely thanks to the lighting and film stock. Freddy looks the scariest in this one compared to all of the other films and has even less smart-ass remarks than in the first one, though the series' humor still pops up now and then. I also enjoy Christopher Young's score for this one much more than the original's. Overall, I still really enjoy it. 4 out of 5 exploding homicidal parakeets.
"Help yourself, fucker."

6. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3- Freddy vs. The Superfriends. Growing up, this was my favorite. It had the perfect balance of seriousness and Freddy's humor along with really memorable effects. The worm still holds up really well and along with the puppet and television scenes, this film has a lot of the most memorable imagery in the entire series. Lagenkamp does a little better in this one, but it bothered me that they put her white streak on the wrong part of her head when you compare it to the first and New Nightmare. Freddy's good as always, but you can see the descent to camp starting on. Still really fun. 4 out of 5 Freddy worms.
"I said, 'Where's the fucking bourbon?'"

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4- Freddy vs. Music Video Gloss. This was actually my first exposure to Freddy as a child. I only saw the first half hour or so on tv and that was enough to scare me to bed. It was also one of the first VHS tapes I bought when I first began actually collecting movies. I had always really enjoyed it, but watching it today, I just couldn't get into it. Both my wife and I ended up not really getting that excited for it like we did for the others. It still has some fun scenes, like the cockroach bit, but I feel that it stands as a pretty much forgetful entry in the series, though everytime I work my way through these, my opinions always change so I might enjoy it more next time. This also marks the point where MTV visuals pretty much took over the series, save for New Nightmare. 2.5 out of 5 soul pizzas.
"Well, it ain't Dr. Seuss."

October 2nd:

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5- Freddy vs. Some Weird Eyed Kid. I always watched this back to back with part 4 when I could and I always found the other one more enjoyable, but this time I liked this one much more. Maybe both my wife and I were in a goofy mood and we had a blast with this one. This is probably the first time I actually had real fun with it. The one liners were bad, but that's what made them funny. The effects are topnotch for the late 80's and the visual style was taken to such a slick style that I felt fit right in with the dream themes. The sets were lavish and beautiful, with a tribute to M.C. Esher capping it all off. Good times. 3.5 out of 5 baby Freddys.
"Hi, Alice. Wanna make babies?"

9. Freddy's Dead- Freddy vs. 3D Worms. This was a major movie for me as a kid. We all had to see it, and after we finally rented it, we went outside and would re-enact it for fun. But as I was older, I haven't really enjoyed it too much when I went back to revisit it. When my wife and I put it on tonight, we had a fun ol' time. I think seeing it with someone that didn't really know the movie and has a fondness for the old fashioned 3D reinvigorated it for me. I had more fun with this than I usually do. The humor really worked for me and there wasn't too many dull parts so the fun just kept coming. 3 out of 5 wicked witch Freddys.
"Kung fu THIS, bitch."

10. New Nightmare- Freddy vs. Reality. So Wes Craven comes back to bring a respectful closure to Freddy. Of course he ends up doing the same shit he does in almost every one of his movies and turns it into a goofball fest in the final fifteen minutes on par with the previous few sequels. It stings all the more because the entirety of the movie beforehand is an incredibly well written and staggeringly planned ghost movie that manages a few genuine scares. Freddy in threatening like he hasn't been since Part 2. His fedora and trench-coat compliment his new make-up design and bone claw, making what I feel is the best looking design for Freddy yet. Lagenkamp is much better in this film, though playing herself might make it a bit easier for her. The movie is subtle and eerie until it staggers into the gutter at the very end. As soon as the freeway scene starts, the movie goes out the window to me. If it had been in one of the previous movies, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but it completely undermines the tone and quality carefully set up during the rest of the movie. It never used to bother me that much, but I find it too hard to overlook anymore. 2 out of 5 Rex dolls.
"Pick a pet for the rugrat, bitch."

11. Freddy vs. Jason- uhhh...Freddy vs. Jason Probably the only film that lives up to the expectations placed upon a "versus" movie. Waiting for this movie was like Star Wars nerds waiting for Episode 1. This was the big one. The heavyweight, titan sized match up, and it didn't disappoint. Sure, there's a good amount of flaws in it (the scene where they basically unravel the whole film's plot and solution by just yammering about it is hilarious), but they end up feeling like a tribute to the goofiness of both series' sequels up to that point. Freddy had a great mix of the wise-ass from the later sequels as well as the creepiness of a dirty old man from the first few films. His demon face sent chills up my spine the first time I saw it. When the final showdown starts, it's cheer-worthy. This film never gets old to me. 4 out of 5 hookah-smoking caterpillars.
"Dude, that goalie was pissed about something."

12. Contamination- Americans vs. Exploding Eggs. A pretty fun movie about eggs from space bursting open and causing anyone who gets caught in the gooey aftermath to have their chest explode. The effects are well done and surprisingly tame compared to many other Italian horrors I've seen. The characters have witty dialog that makes the film a breeze to sit through rather than the plodding exposition you would expect to creep in. The score by Goblin was great and the theme song that creeps up whenever the eggs show up really gets under your skin. And the final creature is awesome, in that low-grade B movie way. Recommended. 4 out of 5 avocados of death.
"If you're always in that condition, it's obvious you couldn't get it up, even if you used a crane."

13. Dead Silence- A Wahlberg vs. Haunted Dummies. When I saw this in the theater, I was a bit disappointed with it. It didn't seem to really jive with me and I felt bored for the most part. The only thing I really could say at the time was it looked beautiful. Watching it again, I enjoyed it a lot more a second time. When you take as something not too original or innovative and watch it for what it is, it's a pretty good ride. It's a fun little story with a great design for the puppets as well as great practical effects as well. The make up designs were really distinctive. None of the actors really stand out except for Mary Shaw and Donnie Wahlberg, who seems to just be having fun the whole time. Good times. 3.5 out of 5 dolls' eyes.
Can you help me with a missing persons case? I’m looking for a male. Bout this tall. Sometimes seen with a hand up his ass.

14. Freaks- Friendly Freaks vs. Asshole Normies. This was my second time viewing this and it was just as good as the first time. The movie isn't really set up as a horror movie but would rather function just as well as your typical noir movie. However, the horror comes from the film's decision to use real circus freaks as the stars. The viewer can't help but become a little unhinged watching them, even though they are nice enough people. When it comes time for their revenge, the film contains some of the most unsettling imagery put on the screen. I can only imagine how disturbing it was seventy years ago to an audience that hadn't been exposed to everything we have. A classic. 4.5 out 5 gooble-gobbles.
"They're going to make you one of them, my peacock!"

15. Freakshow- Gunner Hansen vs. Production Values. This was an anthology film where Gunnar Hansen plays a ringmaster for a freakshow who spins four stories based on the various freaks he trots out to a pair of cynical teenagers. While I love anthology films, I really wasn't expecting the film to be this bad. There isn't a single person who can call themselves an "actor", including Hansen. There's probably a reason why the only role he's remembered for had no lines. The effects were so low budget that they were actually kind of disgusting becuase of how cheap they looked, especially in the second story. After a while, I just wanted it to end but it just kept plodding along. 1 out of 5 obese guys who are most likely pedophiles.
"I am the freakmaster."

October 3rd:

16. Freakshow- Freaks vs. Blonde Bimbo. Capping off the night's freakshow mini-marathon was a film by the infamous Asylum company, those of the mockbusters. I'm not really sure who was calling the shots when they greenlit this one, but it actually paid out for once. Instead of aping some current, hot movie, they decided to rip off Browning's '32 Freaks, and actually managed to make a decent movie for once. The story's pretty much stolen from the 30's film, but tweaked enough to avoid a lawsuit as well as having ample opportunities for gore and sex for their core demographic. There's actually a few people that can act, though you have to work to find a character to like in the film. A good use of public domain music helps to create a sense of place and tone for the first time in an Asylum movie. It's relatively light on violence until the very end where it goes pretty over the top. It's still not a great movie, but for The Asylum, it's a homerun. 2.5 out 5 worm girls.
"Where we come from we all drink from the same well, since we do not have a well, this cup would have to do. "

17. Fido- Society vs. Domestic Zombies Finally, a zombie movie that tries for something different. Zombies are domesticated and turned into servants for those that can afford them. When Timmy's family brings one home, he ends up becoming friends with it and causing trouble for the infrastructure of the entire town. The film has a great sense of humor and has a string of laugh out loud moments, along with the cringe inducing darkness that accompanies them. Billy Connolly makes the movie, but every other actor does a great job. Even all of the child actors are great. It's a great mix of satire, horror, and fun that's easily been the most enjoyable new movie so far this month. A must see. 4.5 out of 5 head coffins.
"I'd say I'm a pretty darn good father. My father tried to eat me, I don't remember trying to eat Timmy."

18. Who Can Kill a Child?- Jean Reno's Brother vs. Children A rather disturbing film where children suddenly begin killing the adults. A couple, which I couldn't shake the idea that the main guy looked exactly like a younger Jean Reno with moppy hair, take a vacation to an idyllic Spanish island only to find the young 'uns hunting them down. The film does a good job of building the tension and shows what it needs to, when it needs to, in order to scare you. The children close in on them as they have to ponder the title's question and decide what they have to do to survive. This one really disturbed my wife and left me with my own set of chills. Several of the scenes recall Hitchcock's The Birds, but to a much more disturbing level. A scene with the wife was both somber and frightening in its conclusion. Definitely one to find and watch. 4 out of 5 geriatric pinatas.
"Some sort of madness. I can't understand this.

19. The Howling 6: The Freaks- Werewolf vs. Circus Freaks An Englishman trying to hide the fact that he's a werewolf gets caught by a traveling circus and made to perform in their freakshow. An alright movie where you can tell it was made during the big boom of direct to video horror in the early 90's. A similar lighting and visual style as a lot of other films of the time, which might be why I liked it more than I should have as I really came of age around that time. No one's really bad or good at acting in this, they're all just passable, as is the storyline which is interesting but doesn't manage to gather up enough energy to really draw you in. The werewolf effects look kind of odd, but at least they were trying for something different. Other effects look a bit better but they definitely show their budget. I will say this movie has the most gratuitous appearances of the boom mic I've ever seen in a movie. A decent time, but nothing to write home about. 2.5 out of 5 alligator boys.
"Don't move or I'll shoot your dick into the next county!"

October 4th:

20. Rabid Grannies- Greedy Family vs. Their Grannies. I rented this when I was about six and had to turn it off after about twenty minutes because it was just too much for me at the time. Watching it now, I'm thinking the tape had to have been uncut as there's hardly anything in here that's risque and I know the Troma dvd's supposed to be cut. In a nutshell, the grannies go bad and tear up their family members. It's a fun time in the vein of Night of the Demons with a dark sense of humor. 3 out 5 birthday cakes.
"A bad priest. And we like bad priests."

21. Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: All Out Monsters Attack- Godzilla vs. The other Guys. This is the only one of the newer Godzilla movies I hadn't seen and I figured it would be good to watch atleast one giant monster flick for the month. This one was surprisingly darker and mean spirited than probably any other Godzilla movie, save for maybe the original. Godzilla himself was designed to look like much more evil than usual, and the film goes so far as to show numerous people dying at the expense of the monsters, something the other films never really delve into. The girl in the hospital was both funny and a touch disturbing. The fights were great, though the final fight didn't live up to the first one in the film. One of the better of the Millennium 'Zilla films. Definitely better than Megaguiras and Tokyo SOS, but I find Against Mechagodzilla, 2000, and Final Wars to still be better. 3.5 out of 5 Baragon blasts.
"The Americans said it was Godzilla, but all the Japanese scientists denied it."

22. Isolation- Farmers vs. Cow-Thing. This was a great little creature feature that was made in the style of Alien or Carpenter's The Thing. It took itself seriously (for a change) and told a taut little story with a disturbing monster surrounded by good performances by its crew of actors. The monster itself is shown in little bits so you only get hints at what it looks like, which works since the monster is so twisted, any glance at it is enough to unbalance you. A great movie of the likes that we don't see too often anymore. 4 out of 5 pregnant calves.
"I felt it snapping at me."

October 5th:

23. Bloody Pit of Horror- Airheads vs THE CRIMSON EXECUTIONER!!!!!! What a whacked out movie, from start to finish. A bunch of morons stumble in to some guys castle without asking to shoot some photos. The owner lets them stay, only because he's a whackjob and starts bumping them off. he whole movie was hilarious. Whether it was the dialog, sets, deaths, or the overacting, I couldn't stop laughing. The ending dragged just a little too long, but other than that, solid entertainment. 4 out of 5 poison tipped mechanical spiders.
"My perfect body... in the poisonous clutches of The Lover Of Death!"

24. Vincent Wildcard #1- Childhood vs. Reality I wanted to start off my little Vincent Price marathon with this short as it's just a great tribute to the man and how I looked upon him growing up. There's not much to say other than it's great and worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet (which lucky enough, it's at the link below). 5 out of 5 sandworm cameos.
"Vincent is nice when his aunt comes to see him, but imagines dipping her in wax for his wax museum."

25. Tales of Terror- Peter Lorre vs. Vincent Price An anthology of Edgar Allen Poe tales, all with Vincent Price in some sort of role. as well as performing the narration. The opening story is good, but nothing really standout as it's pretty similar to other films. The third is better and is actually a little creepy, though I find every version of that story to send some chills up my spine. The second story is where the movie really shines. Peter Lorre eats up all the scenery as he stumbles about, while Price plays his goofy foil. There isn't a scene where Lorre isn't hilarious, even though he's an evil bastard. It was so good, I actually thought about watching it again after the rest of the movie was over. Definitely the highlight of the film. 3.5 out of 5 drunken slurs.
"Haven't I convinced you of my sincerity yet? I'm genuinely dedicated to your destruction."

October 6th:

26. The Tingler- Price vs. Spine Monster Somehow I had never seen this before, even though I've constantly read and heard about it since I was little. Surprisingly, it was a blast the whole way through. Even though the Tingler itself doesn't show up for most of the film's running time, it never once got boring, which I credit to Price's natural charisma and Castle's skill at making an entertaining picture. Price's freak out is probably one of the greatest scenes captured on film and the color sequences were a bit unnerving. A great film which I believe will be joining my list of older favorites along with House on Haunted Hill. 5 out of 5 film breaks.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic! But SCREAM! Scream for your lives!"

27. Theater of Blood- Price vs. Shakespeare. This was surprisingly pretty violent, probably more than any other Price film I've seen. He's a whacked out actor who uses bits of Shakespeare's plays to take out the critics who savaged him. The film has some great set pieces and Price seems to have a delirious time hamming it up. There's a streak of black humor that makes the movie a breeze to sit through. Great fun. 4 out of 5 stage wigs.
"It's him all right. Only Lionheart would have the temerity to rewrite Shakespeare!"

28. Poultrygeist- Zombie Chickens vs. Taste I have to say, this just might be Troma's best film. That may not be saying much to some people, but I've always enjoyed their films and this one was a blast. I was almost cringing over what the songs might sound like, but I was surprised that all but one of them were well written, had a good beat, and had a high production value. In fact the whole film looked great. The leads were charismatic enough to actually like them and the gore was inventive and fun. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone. 5 out of 5 Sloppy Joses.
"The chicken... the chicken has declared jihad on us all."

October 7th:

29. Uninvited- America vs. J-Horror. A Tale of Two Sisters is one of my favorite Asian horror movies. When this remake was announced, I could only groan. Then I saw the trailer, and it looked worse than I imagined. Having actually seen it, it's somehow even worse than that. It's exactly like every other American horror movie for teens, stripping the original's psychological mindfuck away and leaving only an embarrassment of a story. The replication of the dinner scene is a joke and the "twist" is so uneventful and lame that you can only ask yourself "why even bother?." No one's likeable, everything's predictable, and the whole film's a waste of time. The only nice thing I can say is that at least the Blu-ray looked good. 1 out 5 wasted hours.
"I love you... I have a condom."

30. The Changeling- George C. Scott vs. A Wheelchair. This was the first movie of the month that truly scared us. It understands exactly what scares us as viewers and relies on it throughout, eliciting every wrecked nerve it can. The seance scene was frightening enough, but the scene right after is where the true fright creeps in. The first time the wheelchair was used gave me one of the biggest frights I've had in a long time. This was the first time in over a year my wife and I had seen a movie that actually kept us up later that night as we kept scaring each other in bed. One of the true classic ghost stories. 5 out of 5 flaming banisters.
"You goddamn son of a bitch."

31. Ginger Snaps- Werewolves vs. Aunt Flow. I hadn't watched this since it first came out on video and I remember enjoying it a lot more back then. Watching it now, it still holds up as being pretty good, but drags quite a bit in the middle. Bridgette and Ginger are still very interesting lead characters and the film does a good job at making the disintegration of their relationship very affecting. The werewolf effects are great, and the humor works throughout the film, but it seems like the film just plods along in the middle. Overall, not bad, just not as good as I used to view it as. 3 out of 5 mangled Normans.
"If I wasn't here would you eat her?"

32. Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed- Troubled Youths vs. Wolfsbane Addiction. It may have only been because I had never seen it before, but I enjoyed the sequel much more than the original. A good part of it is spent in a locked up hospital ward, which is a typical setting for low-budget horror films, but the interesting characters is what saves it from being boring. The set up is pretty unique and the character of Ghost was always entertaining. The main problem of the film lies in its ending. On one hand, it's kind of twisted and funny, on the other, after following Bridgette for two films, it feels kind of cold after what she's been through. Plus the werewolf effects aren't anywhere near as good as the original. Still, a pretty good movie. 3.5 out of 5 pastiche superheroes.
"Late at night, in secret chambers, he carried out his reign of moral terror."

33. Ginger Snaps: Back to the Beginning- Werewolves vs. Fur Traders. I'm not really sure how this is supposed to tie in with Bridgette and Ginger's tale, but maybe it's not supposed to. I think it's a good idea for an existential "what if?" tale and is actually a much more accomplished movie than the previous two. The setting is beautiful and the whole filmed is shot amazingly, especially coming out of the somewhat flat sequels.All of the characters in the fort are great, and the two main sisters are still fun to watch as they spew out their own brand of cynicism. The effects are similar to the second one's (since they were shot back to back) but I still miss the design from the original. There's not a lot of negatives for the movie. It's interesting the whole way through with a pretty satisfying ending that left me much more content than after watching the other two. This would be the one to check out if you could only catch one of them, which works since it's a prequel set over a 100 years before the others. Actually, it would make a good double feature with Ravenous. A good time. 4 out of 5 werewolf boys.
"I'm sure I'm going to hell for this, but shut your holy fucking mouth."

October 8th:

34. The Convent- Demon Nuns vs A Shotgun. Decided to throw on an easy one before going to bed that night. I've seen this one quite a bit and I still enjoy it a lot. There's nothing terribly original in it, but I get a kick out of the film's sense of humor, as well as its funky black-lit lighting scheme. It's constantly entertaining, and any film where Adrianne Barbeau comes rolling in on a Harley blowing away Satanic nuns with a shotgun can't be bad. 3.5 out of 5 homosexual-rapist-Satanists.
"The time is nigh for you to take your first step into darkness, so why don't you take the Dagger of Dispair, you know and plunge into thine virginal heart?...today?"

35. Shredder- Snowbaorders vs My Patience. A pretty rote slasher, with all of the typical cliches you would expect, with teens being whittled away at an abandoned ski resort. The acting is awful, with the character of Skylar being the worst cinematic being since Jar Jar. Not one character makes any sort of realistic decision and the whole thing wraps up like a bad episode of Scooby Doo. There was a funny bit involving the chair lift but the film dropped that without really mining the potential it had. Overall, a waste of time. 1.5 out of 5 bikini clad bimbos running around in below freezing temperatures.
"I'm sorry that you got more balls than any of us do."

36. Child's Play- Killer Doll vs. Humanity's Inability To Kick The Fucker Out The Window. It's hard to really critique a movie that was such a huge part of your childhood. Whatever it's faults, you can easily overlook them and enjoy it the same way you did when you were younger. Luckily, this first film with Chucky still holds up as a good movie. This was the first and only time Chucky was ever intimidating. He's funny at times, but he's nowhere near the wiseass he is later on. Combine that with how well the movie was shot, and it's still effective today. A yearly classic. 4 out of 5 footprints in the flour.
"Give me the boy, and I'll let you live!"

October 9th:

37. Black Christmas- Billy vs Canadian Coeds. I only saw this movie maybe three or four years ago so I was late to the party on this one, but since then, it's become one of my absolute favorites. It's one of the few movies that completely understands the "less is more" idea in horror and creates some truly horrifying scenes. The phone calls are nerve wracking and the complete ambiguity of Billy leaves you cold long after the movie's over. The film is balanced out by populating it with real, likable, three dimensional characters, the kind that are completely neglected in today's films. These girls aren't just the same slasher bait the 80's fawned over, they're people you actually care about. It also somehow avoids any of the slasher cliches before they were even created. The movie still feels fresh and is one of the undervalued classics. 5 out of 5 "John Saxon's Awesome!"s.
"These broads would hump the Leaning Tower of Pisa if they could get up there."

38. Black Christmas (remake)- The Current Idea Of What A Horror Movie Is vs My Goddamn Sanity. Good God. I've read enough about this remake to know that one should expect the worst when viewing it. With that in mind, I was at least hoping for one of those awful but mean guilty pleasures, along the lines of See No Evil. But that movie's Academy Award Winning when compared to this bastard. Characters might as well not even be there, the story is the absolute needlessly obtuse idea I've ever seen, and the kills are trying so hard that they're just laughable. I know remakes get a bad rap, and I groan with each new announcement as well, but this one only exemplifies how bad horror has become within the studio system. I felt my intelligence personally insulted watching this thing. Stay the hell away from it if you have any sense of self-worth. .5 out 5 skin cookies.
"Oh, fuck no. I'm already starting to see the Sugar Plum Fairies, I don't need to hear the little fuckers too."

39. Offspring- New Englanders vs Captain Caveman's Feral Kids. Jack Ketchum adaptations have been en vogue lately, and while I haven't caught all of them, I can reasonably state this one as the worst. Horrible acting, ugly photography, and an almost pathetic need to shock the viewer equals up to one terrible film. It tries to redeem itself by going over the top with its violence, but it doesn't seem to understand that you actually need to care about the movie or the characters in order for it to matter. I just spent the majority of the time watching the clock tick down until it was over. Avoid. 1 out 5 snarling kids that need to be socked.
"Rawr!"

October 10th: Birthday!

40. The Thaw- Val Kilmer vs Ice Bugs. Val Kilmer collects a two day paycheck in this pretty good killer bug/ paranoia horror film. It apes Carpenter's The Thing and Cabin Fever quite a bit but has enough of its own ideas to make it interesting. If you get grossed out by bugs, then this will make you squirm as it has enough disgusting scenes of the bugs working their way through flesh to send you out the room. A surprisingly decent creature flick that brings up the tension bit by bit. 3.5 out of 5 maggoty mammoths.
"Get the tweezers."

41. Seventh Moon- Newlyweds vs Moon Demons. You can tell pretty easily that this was made by one of the Blair Witch directors. It's a relatively simple story but one made with a full understanding of how to show just enough in order to scare you. It's essentially one long chase but it never loses its tension due to how the demons are shown. The quick glimpses are only enough to scare the hell out of you without the viewer ever getting familiar with the monsters. The film begins to peter out towards the end but the story is changed up enough so that it feels fresh again while the ending's unfolding. One of the few movies to sustain a constant feeling of unease throughout every frame. 4 out 5 demon beatings.
"They took away one of our living each time..."

October 11th:

42. Trailer Park of Terror- Religious Reform Kids vs. Trailer Park Ghosts. I wasn't expecting this one to be as good as it was. Going in, I figured it would be another typical DV hack job. Surprisingly, it was a well crafted film with a main villain that you actually felt empathy for as well as a whole host of engaging characters. The film was filled with great humor that elicited as much gasps as laughs and the soundtrack was loaded with rockin' tunes that already has me looking for some sort of soundtrack. Just one hell of an entertaining movie. 4 out 5 zombie destruction derbies.
"Everything tastes better fried!"

43. The Children- Adults vs. Kids Round 12. I've been looking forward to checking this one out for a while now, and it didn't disappoint. It takes the idea of murderous children completely straight-faced and doesn't hesitate to pull any punches. It's a bit slow in the beginning but after it establishes its characters, the tension just keeps on twisting as it goes on. One of the best horror movies to come out this year and one that will stay with you after its over. 4.5 out of 5 monkey bars.
"No, Daddy's very angry!"

44. Halloween: 25 Years of Terror- Documentarians vs Horror Nerds. Even though I mainly watched it for the checklist, I still had a pretty good time with this one. A fun look back at how the franchise started and how it became more and more convoluted over the years. It manages to find interviews with just about anyone that matters in the series and doesn't sugarcoat the crap that's come out of the movies in the later installments. A much better doc than the one they produced for Friday the 13th and helps to fill the hole left by my decision to avoid the Halloween movies this year. A good time. 4 out of 5 cynical John Carpenter remarks.
"Hrmph."

October 12th:

45. Frailty- Bill Paxton vs. Demons.

46. Whisper- Sawyer vs. A Little Brat.

47. Skinwalkers- The Movie vs. What Genre It Wants To Be.

48. Boy From Hell- Mama vs. Her Demon Kid.

49. Santa's Slay- This Movie vs. My Expectations.

October 13th:

50. Cemetery Gates- Reggie vs. A Wolverine Monster.

51. Bird With Crystal Plummage- An American vs. Giallo Killer.

October 14th:

52. Bones- Snoop Dogg vs. Crack Dealers.

53. Rottweiler- A non-actor vs. Android Guard Dog.

54. Scary Movie 4- Me vs. The Checklist.

October 15th:

55. Dracula (1932)- Bela vs. Dwight.

56. Mausoleum- Bored Housewife vs. Her Demonic Legacy.

57. Blood Song- Frankie Avalon vs. One Last Attempt At A Career.

58. Them (Ills)- Frenchies vs. Home Invasion.

October 16th:

59. Troll- Sonny Bono vs. A Hairy Midget

60. Troll 2- Michael's Bladder vs. The Family Dinner

61. The Blob- Johnny Drama vs. A Gelatinous Nuisance

October 17th:

62. The Stuff- Killer Junk Food vs. Michael Moriarty's Swagger

63. Pick Me Up- Fairuza Balk vs. Traveling Psychos

64. The Host- Dysfunctional Family vs. A Sewer Monster

October 18th:

65. Paranoiac- Oliver Reed vs. The Bottle

66. Dolly Dearest- An American Family vs. The Ugliest Damn Dolls You've Ever Seen

67. The Atomic Brain (MST3K Version)- The Guys vs. 50's Incompetance

68. Return of the Living Dead- Tarman vs. Punk Kids

October 19th:

69. Fright Night- Nerdy Kid vs. His Vampy Neighbor

70. The Descent- Ballsy Ladies vs. Cave Mutants

October 20th:

71. The Cook- Hungarian Killer Cook vs. Lipstick Lesbians

72. Brainscan- John Connor vs. Interactive CD-ROMs

73. Tales From the Crypt ('72)- Stuffy Brits vs. Their Fates

October 21st:

Nothing. Too busy of a day.

October 22nd:

74. Vault of Horror- My Anger vs. This Edited DVD

75. Phantom of the Opera (Hammer Version)- The First 2/3 Of The Movie vs. The Last 1/3 Where Everything Becomes A Sissyfest

76. The Prophecy- Christopher Walken vs. Casey Jones

October 23rd:

77. House of Clocks- Thrill-riding Punks vs. Creepy Old People

October 24th:

78. The People Under the Stairs- Story vs. Wes Craven's Psychosis While Scriptwriting

October 25th:

79. Riding The Bullet- Hitch-hiker vs. David Arquette

80. Hatchet- Joel David Moore vs. 'Roid Raged Hillbilly

81. Trick or Treat- Skippy vs. Heavy Metal

82. Return to Horror High- What's Real vs. What's Not

October 26th:

83. Videodrome- James Woods vs. Killer Television

84. Tales From the Hood- The Title vs. How Good Of A Movie It Really Is

85. Edge of Sanity- Anthony Perkins vs. Mr. Hyde

October 27th:

86. Gnaw: Food of the Gods 2- Tedium vs. Production Values

87. Ghostbusters 2- The Boys vs. A River Of Slime

October 28th:

88. House of 1000 Corpses- Rob Zombie's Only Accomplishment vs. Everything After

89. Spider Baby- Lon Chaney vs. A House of Crazies

October 29th:

90. Resident Evil: Degeneration- My Boredom vs. The Fast Forward Button

91. Ghost Story- Old Farts vs. A Real Ghost

October 30th:

92. MOH: The Black Cat- Jeffrey Combs vs. The Bottle

93. MOH: Pelts- Magical Fur vs. Meatloaf

94. Ghoulies 2- Carnies vs. Ghoulies

October 31st: Wedding Anniversary!

95. Death Factory- Tiffany Shepis vs. Tedium

96. Sleepaway Camp- Foul Mouthed kids vs. A Slasher

97. Sleepaway Camp 2- Springsteen's Sibling vs. Morons

98. Gremlins 2- Gizmo vs. Corporate America

99. Monster Squad- Little Nerds vs. The Classics

100. Satan's Little Helper- One Messed Up Kid vs. Satan

Spoiler:

09-19-09, 09:50 AM	#42
dcrw6 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: portland oregon Posts: 287	Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) **LISTS GO HERE! For the last few years, my work and school has worn me out for this, but this year I plan on not letting them drag me down and plowing through as many as I can around them. I've got an easy couple of thousand to pick from and I've been starving myself of horror for about five months now waiting for this. My goal for this year is to get through 60 movies with at least a 50% ratio of previously seen and first time viewing movies. Color= First time viewing October 1st: 1. Jaws- Humans vs. Shark. A classic film to start out with. Jaws never gets old and I still can't come up with anything bad to say about it. It's got the right mix of humor, suspense, and adventure to make what is always an entertaining experience. 5 out of 5 chum buckets. "Anyway, we delivered the bomb." 2. Plague Town- Stupid Americans vs. Irish Defects. An American family goes on a search for their ancestral roots only to find the locals have a problem with their offspring. About as big of a meh as you can get with a horror movie. Not very exciting but not bad enough to turn off The spotty acting really brings down the production value along with a pretty uneventful tone throughout. The spots of unintentional comedy help to liven it up a touch. If you've seen the After Dark Horrorfest movie Wicked Little Things, it's a perfect companion to that, in both quality and story. 1.5 out of 5 googly eyes. "Better come with me, sweetheart. I'd hate to see you go to waste." 3. The Dead Pit- Nutballs vs. Zombies. A Jane Doe is pulled into an asylum claiming her memories had been stolen from her brain and finds an undead scientist working to harvest brains for his zombie army. One of those so bad they're good movies that only the 80's could have pulled off. The main actress seems to prefer wearing super-small cutoff shirts while the main actor has such a pronounced brow, his eyes seem to disappear at times. I ended up being fixated on that most of the time he popped up. The lighting was cool and the effects were pretty good for such a low budget. A movie that's perfect to recreate your own little MST3K episode. 2.5 out 5 melting zombies. "For dead people they sure are smart." 4. A Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy vs. Teens. I loved this growing up, but it seems as though every time I watch it as an adult, it lessens a little bit more. I can see now just how bad of an actress Heather Lagenkamp was and the last twenty minutes just get more and more laughable every time. It's pretty obvious no one knew how to end it and just wanted to wrap it up. But there are still a lot of effective scenes and Freddy definitely still makes an impression. I'd still rate it highly but it does have its flaws. 4 out 5 flamin' Freddys. "He's been in the John pukin' since he saw it." 5. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2- Freddy vs. Homo-eroticism. Most talk about this movie tends to focus on the homosexual subtext that can be found, but to be honest, I never even noticed it until like the fifteenth viewing. In fact, there's a lot of aspects that hold up better to me than the original, and when you do pay attention to the gay undertones, it just makes it a deeper movie to me. It's creepy and feels dirty when you're watching it, largely thanks to the lighting and film stock. Freddy looks the scariest in this one compared to all of the other films and has even less smart-ass remarks than in the first one, though the series' humor still pops up now and then. I also enjoy Christopher Young's score for this one much more than the original's. Overall, I still really enjoy it. 4 out of 5 exploding homicidal parakeets. "Help yourself, fucker." 6. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3- Freddy vs. The Superfriends. Growing up, this was my favorite. It had the perfect balance of seriousness and Freddy's humor along with really memorable effects. The worm still holds up really well and along with the puppet and television scenes, this film has a lot of the most memorable imagery in the entire series. Lagenkamp does a little better in this one, but it bothered me that they put her white streak on the wrong part of her head when you compare it to the first and New Nightmare. Freddy's good as always, but you can see the descent to camp starting on. Still really fun. 4 out of 5 Freddy worms. "I said, 'Where's the fucking bourbon?'" 7. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4- Freddy vs. Music Video Gloss. This was actually my first exposure to Freddy as a child. I only saw the first half hour or so on tv and that was enough to scare me to bed. It was also one of the first VHS tapes I bought when I first began actually collecting movies. I had always really enjoyed it, but watching it today, I just couldn't get into it. Both my wife and I ended up not really getting that excited for it like we did for the others. It still has some fun scenes, like the cockroach bit, but I feel that it stands as a pretty much forgetful entry in the series, though everytime I work my way through these, my opinions always change so I might enjoy it more next time. This also marks the point where MTV visuals pretty much took over the series, save for New Nightmare. 2.5 out of 5 soul pizzas. "Well, it ain't Dr. Seuss." October 2nd: 8. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5- Freddy vs. Some Weird Eyed Kid. I always watched this back to back with part 4 when I could and I always found the other one more enjoyable, but this time I liked this one much more. Maybe both my wife and I were in a goofy mood and we had a blast with this one. This is probably the first time I actually had real fun with it. The one liners were bad, but that's what made them funny. The effects are topnotch for the late 80's and the visual style was taken to such a slick style that I felt fit right in with the dream themes. The sets were lavish and beautiful, with a tribute to M.C. Esher capping it all off. Good times. 3.5 out of 5 baby Freddys. "Hi, Alice. Wanna make babies?" 9. Freddy's Dead- Freddy vs. 3D Worms. This was a major movie for me as a kid. We all had to see it, and after we finally rented it, we went outside and would re-enact it for fun. But as I was older, I haven't really enjoyed it too much when I went back to revisit it. When my wife and I put it on tonight, we had a fun ol' time. I think seeing it with someone that didn't really know the movie and has a fondness for the old fashioned 3D reinvigorated it for me. I had more fun with this than I usually do. The humor really worked for me and there wasn't too many dull parts so the fun just kept coming. 3 out of 5 wicked witch Freddys. "Kung fu THIS, bitch." 10. New Nightmare- Freddy vs. Reality. So Wes Craven comes back to bring a respectful closure to Freddy. Of course he ends up doing the same shit he does in almost every one of his movies and turns it into a goofball fest in the final fifteen minutes on par with the previous few sequels. It stings all the more because the entirety of the movie beforehand is an incredibly well written and staggeringly planned ghost movie that manages a few genuine scares. Freddy in threatening like he hasn't been since Part 2. His fedora and trench-coat compliment his new make-up design and bone claw, making what I feel is the best looking design for Freddy yet. Lagenkamp is much better in this film, though playing herself might make it a bit easier for her. The movie is subtle and eerie until it staggers into the gutter at the very end. As soon as the freeway scene starts, the movie goes out the window to me. If it had been in one of the previous movies, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but it completely undermines the tone and quality carefully set up during the rest of the movie. It never used to bother me that much, but I find it too hard to overlook anymore. 2 out of 5 Rex dolls. "Pick a pet for the rugrat, bitch." 11. Freddy vs. Jason- uhhh...Freddy vs. Jason Probably the only film that lives up to the expectations placed upon a "versus" movie. Waiting for this movie was like Star Wars nerds waiting for Episode 1. This was the big one. The heavyweight, titan sized match up, and it didn't disappoint. Sure, there's a good amount of flaws in it (the scene where they basically unravel the whole film's plot and solution by just yammering about it is hilarious), but they end up feeling like a tribute to the goofiness of both series' sequels up to that point. Freddy had a great mix of the wise-ass from the later sequels as well as the creepiness of a dirty old man from the first few films. His demon face sent chills up my spine the first time I saw it. When the final showdown starts, it's cheer-worthy. This film never gets old to me. 4 out of 5 hookah-smoking caterpillars. "Dude, that goalie was pissed about something." 12. Contamination- Americans vs. Exploding Eggs. A pretty fun movie about eggs from space bursting open and causing anyone who gets caught in the gooey aftermath to have their chest explode. The effects are well done and surprisingly tame compared to many other Italian horrors I've seen. The characters have witty dialog that makes the film a breeze to sit through rather than the plodding exposition you would expect to creep in. The score by Goblin was great and the theme song that creeps up whenever the eggs show up really gets under your skin. And the final creature is awesome, in that low-grade B movie way. Recommended. 4 out of 5 avocados of death. "If you're always in that condition, it's obvious you couldn't get it up, even if you used a crane." 13. Dead Silence- A Wahlberg vs. Haunted Dummies. When I saw this in the theater, I was a bit disappointed with it. It didn't seem to really jive with me and I felt bored for the most part. The only thing I really could say at the time was it looked beautiful. Watching it again, I enjoyed it a lot more a second time. When you take as something not too original or innovative and watch it for what it is, it's a pretty good ride. It's a fun little story with a great design for the puppets as well as great practical effects as well. The make up designs were really distinctive. None of the actors really stand out except for Mary Shaw and Donnie Wahlberg, who seems to just be having fun the whole time. Good times. 3.5 out of 5 dolls' eyes. Can you help me with a missing persons case? I’m looking for a male. Bout this tall. Sometimes seen with a hand up his ass. 14. Freaks- Friendly Freaks vs. Asshole Normies. This was my second time viewing this and it was just as good as the first time. The movie isn't really set up as a horror movie but would rather function just as well as your typical noir movie. However, the horror comes from the film's decision to use real circus freaks as the stars. The viewer can't help but become a little unhinged watching them, even though they are nice enough people. When it comes time for their revenge, the film contains some of the most unsettling imagery put on the screen. I can only imagine how disturbing it was seventy years ago to an audience that hadn't been exposed to everything we have. A classic. 4.5 out 5 gooble-gobbles. "They're going to make you one of them, my peacock!" 15. Freakshow- Gunner Hansen vs. Production Values. This was an anthology film where Gunnar Hansen plays a ringmaster for a freakshow who spins four stories based on the various freaks he trots out to a pair of cynical teenagers. While I love anthology films, I really wasn't expecting the film to be this bad. There isn't a single person who can call themselves an "actor", including Hansen. There's probably a reason why the only role he's remembered for had no lines. The effects were so low budget that they were actually kind of disgusting becuase of how cheap they looked, especially in the second story. After a while, I just wanted it to end but it just kept plodding along. 1 out of 5 obese guys who are most likely pedophiles. "I am the freakmaster." October 3rd: 16. Freakshow- Freaks vs. Blonde Bimbo. Capping off the night's freakshow mini-marathon was a film by the infamous Asylum company, those of the mockbusters. I'm not really sure who was calling the shots when they greenlit this one, but it actually paid out for once. Instead of aping some current, hot movie, they decided to rip off Browning's '32 Freaks, and actually managed to make a decent movie for once. The story's pretty much stolen from the 30's film, but tweaked enough to avoid a lawsuit as well as having ample opportunities for gore and sex for their core demographic. There's actually a few people that can act, though you have to work to find a character to like in the film. A good use of public domain music helps to create a sense of place and tone for the first time in an Asylum movie. It's relatively light on violence until the very end where it goes pretty over the top. It's still not a great movie, but for The Asylum, it's a homerun. 2.5 out 5 worm girls. "Where we come from we all drink from the same well, since we do not have a well, this cup would have to do. " 17. Fido- Society vs. Domestic Zombies Finally, a zombie movie that tries for something different. Zombies are domesticated and turned into servants for those that can afford them. When Timmy's family brings one home, he ends up becoming friends with it and causing trouble for the infrastructure of the entire town. The film has a great sense of humor and has a string of laugh out loud moments, along with the cringe inducing darkness that accompanies them. Billy Connolly makes the movie, but every other actor does a great job. Even all of the child actors are great. It's a great mix of satire, horror, and fun that's easily been the most enjoyable new movie so far this month. A must see. 4.5 out of 5 head coffins. "I'd say I'm a pretty darn good father. My father tried to eat me, I don't remember trying to eat Timmy." 18. Who Can Kill a Child?- Jean Reno's Brother vs. Children A rather disturbing film where children suddenly begin killing the adults. A couple, which I couldn't shake the idea that the main guy looked exactly like a younger Jean Reno with moppy hair, take a vacation to an idyllic Spanish island only to find the young 'uns hunting them down. The film does a good job of building the tension and shows what it needs to, when it needs to, in order to scare you. The children close in on them as they have to ponder the title's question and decide what they have to do to survive. This one really disturbed my wife and left me with my own set of chills. Several of the scenes recall Hitchcock's The Birds, but to a much more disturbing level. A scene with the wife was both somber and frightening in its conclusion. Definitely one to find and watch. 4 out of 5 geriatric pinatas. "Some sort of madness. I can't understand this. 19. The Howling 6: The Freaks- Werewolf vs. Circus Freaks An Englishman trying to hide the fact that he's a werewolf gets caught by a traveling circus and made to perform in their freakshow. An alright movie where you can tell it was made during the big boom of direct to video horror in the early 90's. A similar lighting and visual style as a lot of other films of the time, which might be why I liked it more than I should have as I really came of age around that time. No one's really bad or good at acting in this, they're all just passable, as is the storyline which is interesting but doesn't manage to gather up enough energy to really draw you in. The werewolf effects look kind of odd, but at least they were trying for something different. Other effects look a bit better but they definitely show their budget. I will say this movie has the most gratuitous appearances of the boom mic I've ever seen in a movie. A decent time, but nothing to write home about. 2.5 out of 5 alligator boys. "Don't move or I'll shoot your dick into the next county!" October 4th: 20. Rabid Grannies- Greedy Family vs. Their Grannies. I rented this when I was about six and had to turn it off after about twenty minutes because it was just too much for me at the time. Watching it now, I'm thinking the tape had to have been uncut as there's hardly anything in here that's risque and I know the Troma dvd's supposed to be cut. In a nutshell, the grannies go bad and tear up their family members. It's a fun time in the vein of Night of the Demons with a dark sense of humor. 3 out 5 birthday cakes. "A bad priest. And we like bad priests." 21. Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: All Out Monsters Attack- Godzilla vs. The other Guys. This is the only one of the newer Godzilla movies I hadn't seen and I figured it would be good to watch atleast one giant monster flick for the month. This one was surprisingly darker and mean spirited than probably any other Godzilla movie, save for maybe the original. Godzilla himself was designed to look like much more evil than usual, and the film goes so far as to show numerous people dying at the expense of the monsters, something the other films never really delve into. The girl in the hospital was both funny and a touch disturbing. The fights were great, though the final fight didn't live up to the first one in the film. One of the better of the Millennium 'Zilla films. Definitely better than Megaguiras and Tokyo SOS, but I find Against Mechagodzilla, 2000, and Final Wars to still be better. 3.5 out of 5 Baragon blasts. "The Americans said it was Godzilla, but all the Japanese scientists denied it." 22. Isolation- Farmers vs. Cow-Thing. This was a great little creature feature that was made in the style of Alien or Carpenter's The Thing. It took itself seriously (for a change) and told a taut little story with a disturbing monster surrounded by good performances by its crew of actors. The monster itself is shown in little bits so you only get hints at what it looks like, which works since the monster is so twisted, any glance at it is enough to unbalance you. A great movie of the likes that we don't see too often anymore. 4 out of 5 pregnant calves. "I felt it snapping at me." October 5th: 23. Bloody Pit of Horror- Airheads vs THE CRIMSON EXECUTIONER!!!!!! What a whacked out movie, from start to finish. A bunch of morons stumble in to some guys castle without asking to shoot some photos. The owner lets them stay, only because he's a whackjob and starts bumping them off. he whole movie was hilarious. Whether it was the dialog, sets, deaths, or the overacting, I couldn't stop laughing. The ending dragged just a little too long, but other than that, solid entertainment. 4 out of 5 poison tipped mechanical spiders. "My perfect body... in the poisonous clutches of The Lover Of Death!" 24. *Vincent Wildcard #1- Childhood vs. Reality* I wanted to start off my little Vincent Price marathon with this short as it's just a great tribute to the man and how I looked upon him growing up. There's not much to say other than it's great and worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet (which lucky enough, it's at the link below). 5 out of 5 sandworm cameos. "Vincent is nice when his aunt comes to see him, but imagines dipping her in wax for his wax museum." 25. Tales of Terror- Peter Lorre vs. Vincent Price An anthology of Edgar Allen Poe tales, all with Vincent Price in some sort of role. as well as performing the narration. The opening story is good, but nothing really standout as it's pretty similar to other films. The third is better and is actually a little creepy, though I find every version of that story to send some chills up my spine. The second story is where the movie really shines. Peter Lorre eats up all the scenery as he stumbles about, while Price plays his goofy foil. There isn't a scene where Lorre isn't hilarious, even though he's an evil bastard. It was so good, I actually thought about watching it again after the rest of the movie was over. Definitely the highlight of the film. 3.5 out of 5 drunken slurs. "Haven't I convinced you of my sincerity yet? I'm genuinely dedicated to your destruction." October 6th: 26. The Tingler- Price vs. Spine Monster Somehow I had never seen this before, even though I've constantly read and heard about it since I was little. Surprisingly, it was a blast the whole way through. Even though the Tingler itself doesn't show up for most of the film's running time, it never once got boring, which I credit to Price's natural charisma and Castle's skill at making an entertaining picture. Price's freak out is probably one of the greatest scenes captured on film and the color sequences were a bit unnerving. A great film which I believe will be joining my list of older favorites along with House on Haunted Hill. 5 out of 5 film breaks. "Ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic! But SCREAM! Scream for your lives!" 27. Theater of Blood- Price vs. Shakespeare. This was surprisingly pretty violent, probably more than any other Price film I've seen. He's a whacked out actor who uses bits of Shakespeare's plays to take out the critics who savaged him. The film has some great set pieces and Price seems to have a delirious time hamming it up. There's a streak of black humor that makes the movie a breeze to sit through. Great fun. 4 out of 5 stage wigs. "It's him all right. Only Lionheart would have the temerity to rewrite Shakespeare!" 28. Poultrygeist- Zombie Chickens vs. Taste I have to say, this just might be Troma's best film. That may not be saying much to some people, but I've always enjoyed their films and this one was a blast. I was almost cringing over what the songs might sound like, but I was surprised that all but one of them were well written, had a good beat, and had a high production value. In fact the whole film looked great. The leads were charismatic enough to actually like them and the gore was inventive and fun. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone. 5 out of 5 Sloppy Joses. "The chicken... the chicken has declared jihad on us all." October 7th: 29. Uninvited- America vs. J-Horror. A Tale of Two Sisters is one of my favorite Asian horror movies. When this remake was announced, I could only groan. Then I saw the trailer, and it looked worse than I imagined. Having actually seen it, it's somehow even worse than that. It's exactly like every other American horror movie for teens, stripping the original's psychological mindfuck away and leaving only an embarrassment of a story. The replication of the dinner scene is a joke and the "twist" is so uneventful and lame that you can only ask yourself "why even bother?." No one's likeable, everything's predictable, and the whole film's a waste of time. The only nice thing I can say is that at least the Blu-ray looked good. 1 out 5 wasted hours. "I love you... I have a condom." 30. The Changeling- George C. Scott vs. A Wheelchair. This was the first movie of the month that truly scared us. It understands exactly what scares us as viewers and relies on it throughout, eliciting every wrecked nerve it can. The seance scene was frightening enough, but the scene right after is where the true fright creeps in. The first time the wheelchair was used gave me one of the biggest frights I've had in a long time. This was the first time in over a year my wife and I had seen a movie that actually kept us up later that night as we kept scaring each other in bed. One of the true classic ghost stories. 5 out of 5 flaming banisters. "You goddamn son of a bitch." 31. Ginger Snaps- Werewolves vs. Aunt Flow. I hadn't watched this since it first came out on video and I remember enjoying it a lot more back then. Watching it now, it still holds up as being pretty good, but drags quite a bit in the middle. Bridgette and Ginger are still very interesting lead characters and the film does a good job at making the disintegration of their relationship very affecting. The werewolf effects are great, and the humor works throughout the film, but it seems like the film just plods along in the middle. Overall, not bad, just not as good as I used to view it as. 3 out of 5 mangled Normans. "If I wasn't here would you eat her?" 32. Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed- Troubled Youths vs. Wolfsbane Addiction. It may have only been because I had never seen it before, but I enjoyed the sequel much more than the original. A good part of it is spent in a locked up hospital ward, which is a typical setting for low-budget horror films, but the interesting characters is what saves it from being boring. The set up is pretty unique and the character of Ghost was always entertaining. The main problem of the film lies in its ending. On one hand, it's kind of twisted and funny, on the other, after following Bridgette for two films, it feels kind of cold after what she's been through. Plus the werewolf effects aren't anywhere near as good as the original. Still, a pretty good movie. 3.5 out of 5 pastiche superheroes. "Late at night, in secret chambers, he carried out his reign of moral terror." 33. Ginger Snaps: Back to the Beginning- Werewolves vs. Fur Traders. I'm not really sure how this is supposed to tie in with Bridgette and Ginger's tale, but maybe it's not supposed to. I think it's a good idea for an existential "what if?" tale and is actually a much more accomplished movie than the previous two. The setting is beautiful and the whole filmed is shot amazingly, especially coming out of the somewhat flat sequels.All of the characters in the fort are great, and the two main sisters are still fun to watch as they spew out their own brand of cynicism. The effects are similar to the second one's (since they were shot back to back) but I still miss the design from the original. There's not a lot of negatives for the movie. It's interesting the whole way through with a pretty satisfying ending that left me much more content than after watching the other two. This would be the one to check out if you could only catch one of them, which works since it's a prequel set over a 100 years before the others. Actually, it would make a good double feature with Ravenous. A good time. 4 out of 5 werewolf boys. "I'm sure I'm going to hell for this, but shut your holy fucking mouth." October 8th: 34. The Convent- Demon Nuns vs A Shotgun. Decided to throw on an easy one before going to bed that night. I've seen this one quite a bit and I still enjoy it a lot. There's nothing terribly original in it, but I get a kick out of the film's sense of humor, as well as its funky black-lit lighting scheme. It's constantly entertaining, and any film where Adrianne Barbeau comes rolling in on a Harley blowing away Satanic nuns with a shotgun can't be bad. 3.5 out of 5 homosexual-rapist-Satanists. "The time is nigh for you to take your first step into darkness, so why don't you take the Dagger of Dispair, you know and plunge into thine virginal heart?...today?" 35. Shredder- Snowbaorders vs My Patience. A pretty rote slasher, with all of the typical cliches you would expect, with teens being whittled away at an abandoned ski resort. The acting is awful, with the character of Skylar being the worst cinematic being since Jar Jar. Not one character makes any sort of realistic decision and the whole thing wraps up like a bad episode of Scooby Doo. There was a funny bit involving the chair lift but the film dropped that without really mining the potential it had. Overall, a waste of time. 1.5 out of 5 bikini clad bimbos running around in below freezing temperatures. "I'm sorry that you got more balls than any of us do." 36. Child's Play- Killer Doll vs. Humanity's Inability To Kick The Fucker Out The Window. It's hard to really critique a movie that was such a huge part of your childhood. Whatever it's faults, you can easily overlook them and enjoy it the same way you did when you were younger. Luckily, this first film with Chucky still holds up as a good movie. This was the first and only time Chucky was ever intimidating. He's funny at times, but he's nowhere near the wiseass he is later on. Combine that with how well the movie was shot, and it's still effective today. A yearly classic. 4 out of 5 footprints in the flour. "Give me the boy, and I'll let you live!" October 9th: 37. Black Christmas- Billy vs Canadian Coeds. I only saw this movie maybe three or four years ago so I was late to the party on this one, but since then, it's become one of my absolute favorites. It's one of the few movies that completely understands the "less is more" idea in horror and creates some truly horrifying scenes. The phone calls are nerve wracking and the complete ambiguity of Billy leaves you cold long after the movie's over. The film is balanced out by populating it with real, likable, three dimensional characters, the kind that are completely neglected in today's films. These girls aren't just the same slasher bait the 80's fawned over, they're people you actually care about. It also somehow avoids any of the slasher cliches before they were even created. The movie still feels fresh and is one of the undervalued classics. 5 out of 5 "John Saxon's Awesome!"s. "These broads would hump the Leaning Tower of Pisa if they could get up there." 38. Black Christmas (remake)- The Current Idea Of What A Horror Movie Is vs My Goddamn Sanity. Good God. I've read enough about this remake to know that one should expect the worst when viewing it. With that in mind, I was at least hoping for one of those awful but mean guilty pleasures, along the lines of See No Evil. But that movie's Academy Award Winning when compared to this bastard. Characters might as well not even be there, the story is the absolute needlessly obtuse idea I've ever seen, and the kills are trying so hard that they're just laughable. I know remakes get a bad rap, and I groan with each new announcement as well, but this one only exemplifies how bad horror has become within the studio system. I felt my intelligence personally insulted watching this thing. Stay the hell away from it if you have any sense of self-worth. .5 out 5 skin cookies. "Oh, fuck no. I'm already starting to see the Sugar Plum Fairies, I don't need to hear the little fuckers too." 39. Offspring- New Englanders vs Captain Caveman's Feral Kids. Jack Ketchum adaptations have been en vogue lately, and while I haven't caught all of them, I can reasonably state this one as the worst. Horrible acting, ugly photography, and an almost pathetic need to shock the viewer equals up to one terrible film. It tries to redeem itself by going over the top with its violence, but it doesn't seem to understand that you actually need to care about the movie or the characters in order for it to matter. I just spent the majority of the time watching the clock tick down until it was over. Avoid. 1 out 5 snarling kids that need to be socked. "Rawr!" October 10th: Birthday! 40. The Thaw- Val Kilmer vs Ice Bugs. Val Kilmer collects a two day paycheck in this pretty good killer bug/ paranoia horror film. It apes Carpenter's The Thing and Cabin Fever quite a bit but has enough of its own ideas to make it interesting. If you get grossed out by bugs, then this will make you squirm as it has enough disgusting scenes of the bugs working their way through flesh to send you out the room. A surprisingly decent creature flick that brings up the tension bit by bit. 3.5 out of 5 maggoty mammoths. "Get the tweezers." 41. Seventh Moon- Newlyweds vs Moon Demons. You can tell pretty easily that this was made by one of the Blair Witch directors. It's a relatively simple story but one made with a full understanding of how to show just enough in order to scare you. It's essentially one long chase but it never loses its tension due to how the demons are shown. The quick glimpses are only enough to scare the hell out of you without the viewer ever getting familiar with the monsters. The film begins to peter out towards the end but the story is changed up enough so that it feels fresh again while the ending's unfolding. One of the few movies to sustain a constant feeling of unease throughout every frame. 4 out 5 demon beatings. "They took away one of our living each time..." October 11th: 42. Trailer Park of Terror- Religious Reform Kids vs. Trailer Park Ghosts. I wasn't expecting this one to be as good as it was. Going in, I figured it would be another typical DV hack job. Surprisingly, it was a well crafted film with a main villain that you actually felt empathy for as well as a whole host of engaging characters. The film was filled with great humor that elicited as much gasps as laughs and the soundtrack was loaded with rockin' tunes that already has me looking for some sort of soundtrack. Just one hell of an entertaining movie. 4 out 5 zombie destruction derbies. "Everything tastes better fried!" 43. The Children- Adults vs. Kids Round 12. I've been looking forward to checking this one out for a while now, and it didn't disappoint. It takes the idea of murderous children completely straight-faced and doesn't hesitate to pull any punches. It's a bit slow in the beginning but after it establishes its characters, the tension just keeps on twisting as it goes on. One of the best horror movies to come out this year and one that will stay with you after its over. 4.5 out of 5 monkey bars. "No, Daddy's very angry!" 44. Halloween: 25 Years of Terror- Documentarians vs Horror Nerds. Even though I mainly watched it for the checklist, I still had a pretty good time with this one. A fun look back at how the franchise started and how it became more and more convoluted over the years. It manages to find interviews with just about anyone that matters in the series and doesn't sugarcoat the crap that's come out of the movies in the later installments. A much better doc than the one they produced for Friday the 13th and helps to fill the hole left by my decision to avoid the Halloween movies this year. A good time. 4 out of 5 cynical John Carpenter remarks. "Hrmph." October 12th: 45. Frailty- Bill Paxton vs. Demons. 46. Whisper- Sawyer vs. A Little Brat. 47. Skinwalkers- The Movie vs. What Genre It Wants To Be. 48. Boy From Hell- Mama vs. Her Demon Kid. 49. Santa's Slay- This Movie vs. My Expectations. October 13th: 50. Cemetery Gates- Reggie vs. A Wolverine Monster. 51. Bird With Crystal Plummage- An American vs. Giallo Killer. October 14th: 52. Bones- Snoop Dogg vs. Crack Dealers. 53. Rottweiler- A non-actor vs. Android Guard Dog. 54. Scary Movie 4- Me vs. The Checklist. October 15th: 55. Dracula (1932)- Bela vs. Dwight. 56. Mausoleum- Bored Housewife vs. Her Demonic Legacy. 57. Blood Song- Frankie Avalon vs. One Last Attempt At A Career. 58. Them (Ills)- Frenchies vs. Home Invasion. October 16th: 59. Troll- Sonny Bono vs. A Hairy Midget 60. Troll 2- Michael's Bladder vs. The Family Dinner 61. The Blob- Johnny Drama vs. A Gelatinous Nuisance October 17th: 62. The Stuff- Killer Junk Food vs. Michael Moriarty's Swagger 63. Pick Me Up- Fairuza Balk vs. Traveling Psychos 64. The Host- Dysfunctional Family vs. A Sewer Monster October 18th: 65. Paranoiac- Oliver Reed vs. The Bottle 66. Dolly Dearest- An American Family vs. The Ugliest Damn Dolls You've Ever Seen 67. The Atomic Brain (MST3K Version)- The Guys vs. 50's Incompetance 68. Return of the Living Dead- Tarman vs. Punk Kids October 19th: 69. Fright Night- Nerdy Kid vs. His Vampy Neighbor 70. The Descent- Ballsy Ladies vs. Cave Mutants October 20th: 71. The Cook- Hungarian Killer Cook vs. Lipstick Lesbians 72. Brainscan- John Connor vs. Interactive CD-ROMs 73. Tales From the Crypt ('72)- Stuffy Brits vs. Their Fates October 21st: Nothing. Too busy of a day. October 22nd: 74. Vault of Horror- My Anger vs. This Edited DVD 75. Phantom of the Opera (Hammer Version)- The First 2/3 Of The Movie vs. The Last 1/3 Where Everything Becomes A Sissyfest 76. The Prophecy- Christopher Walken vs. Casey Jones October 23rd: 77. House of Clocks- Thrill-riding Punks vs. Creepy Old People October 24th: 78. The People Under the Stairs- Story vs. Wes Craven's Psychosis While Scriptwriting October 25th: 79. Riding The Bullet- Hitch-hiker vs. David Arquette 80. Hatchet- Joel David Moore vs. 'Roid Raged Hillbilly 81. Trick or Treat- Skippy vs. Heavy Metal 82. Return to Horror High- What's Real vs. What's Not October 26th: 83. Videodrome- James Woods vs. Killer Television 84. Tales From the Hood- The Title vs. How Good Of A Movie It Really Is 85. Edge of Sanity- Anthony Perkins vs. Mr. Hyde October 27th: 86. Gnaw: Food of the Gods 2- Tedium vs. Production Values 87. Ghostbusters 2- The Boys vs. A River Of Slime October 28th: 88. House of 1000 Corpses- Rob Zombie's Only Accomplishment vs. Everything After 89. Spider Baby- Lon Chaney vs. A House of Crazies October 29th: 90. Resident Evil: Degeneration- My Boredom vs. The Fast Forward Button 91. Ghost Story- Old Farts vs. A Real Ghost October 30th: 92. MOH: The Black Cat- Jeffrey Combs vs. The Bottle 93. MOH: Pelts- Magical Fur vs. Meatloaf 94. Ghoulies 2- Carnies vs. Ghoulies October 31st: Wedding Anniversary! 95. Death Factory- Tiffany Shepis vs. Tedium 96. Sleepaway Camp- Foul Mouthed kids vs. A Slasher 97. Sleepaway Camp 2- Springsteen's Sibling vs. Morons 98. Gremlins 2- Gizmo vs. Corporate America 99. Monster Squad- Little Nerds vs. The Classics 100. Satan's Little Helper- One Messed Up Kid vs. Satan Spoiler: Watch one film from every decade of film history. --- 1890 - (insert film title here) --- 1900 - --- 1910 - --- 1920 - -X- 1930 - Freaks --- 1940 - -X- 1950 - The Tingler -X- 1960 - Bloody Pit of Horror -X- 1970 - Who Can Kill A Child? -X- 1980 - Dead Pit -X- 1990 - People Under The Stairs -X- 2000 - Plague Town Watch a film for each rating: -X- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - Freaks --- G - -X- PG - Tales From the Crypt -X- PG-13 - The Uninvited -X- R - Bones --- NC-17 - --- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) - -X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - The Cook Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc). -X- First format, DVD, Jaws. -X- Second format, Blu-ray, Plague Town. --- Third format, (insert format), (insert title). Watch a film starring: -X- Bela Lugosi - Dracula --- Lon Chaney Sr. - --- Boris Karloff - -X- Lon Chaney Jr. - Spider Baby -X- Vincent Price - The Tingler -X- Peter Cushing - Tales From The Crypt -X- Christopher Lee - Gremlins 2 -X- Robert Englund - Hatchet --- Bruce Campbell - --- Jamie Lee Curtis - Watch films in at least two languages other than English. -X- First language,Spanish, Who Can Kill A Child? -X- Second language, Japanese, Boy From Hell Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types: -X- Vampire - Fright Night -X- Frankenstein - Monster Squad -X- Werewolf - Howling 6 -X- Mummy - Monster Squad --- Invisible Man - -X- Ghost/haunting - Changeling -X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Frailty -X- Zombie - Fido -X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Hatchet -X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Isolation -X- Documentary - Halloween: 25 Years of Terror -X- Musical - Poultrygeist -X- Spoof/comedy - Scary Movie 4 -X- Revenge - theater of Blood -X- Killer/evil doll - Dolly Dearest -X- Killer/evil animal - Rottweiler -X- Killer/evil child - Who Can Kill A Child? -X- Giallo - Bird With Crystal Plummage -X- J horror - Boy From Hell -X- MST3K/rifftrax/CT - The Atomic Brain -X- film and its remake - Black Christmas -X- based on a video game - Resident Evil: Degeneration -X- based on a novel - Ghost Story --- directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis or Uwe Boll or Ulli Lommel - --- won an Academy Award -- any category - --- silent film - -X- Criterion version film - Videodrome --- with commentary - -X- film and at least two of its sequels - Nightmare on Elm Street -X- anthology film - Tales of Terror -X- takes place on a holiday - Santa's Slay --- takes place in space - -X- takes place on or under the sea - Jaws -X- animated film - Resident Evil: Degeneration --- called "Night of ..." - -X- called "Return of ..." - Return of the Living Dead --- called "Revenge of ..." - --- called "Attack of ..." - -X- with the words "Living Dead" in the title - Return of the Living Dead __________________ Just call me Dusty B! DVDAF Myspace Horror Challenge 2009 Last edited by dcrw6; 11-06-09 at 02:44 PM.