Trevor

We're not on pace for a record then. Not surprising since the forum is slowing.
I guess it's also a reminder to not buy any horror on ebay right now.

wishbone

My "Before They Were Stars" list:  Leslie-Anne Down (Countess Dracula); John Goodman and Jay Thomas (C.H.U.D.); and Leo (Critters 3)



When I watched Critters 3 for last year's challenge I thought Leo was Brian Bonsall.

Cardsfan111

Along those same lines, I just watched The Burning this morning and had no idea that Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter & Fisher Stevens would appear.

Undeadcow

Use the wildcards; it's an honest way to count non-horror fluff. Curses on Mill Creek for their deceptive cramming of budget movies into inappropriate sets.

Trevor

WTF goodness is right! I'd love a cast commentary on this madness.

ntnon

Oh, quite. It's not that I don't see why it counts - and the effects are really good - just that I didn't see the parallels last year, so it also made me muse on the horror-ness after earlier discussions.

GoldenWheels

Good idea. It is really more of a historical adventure/swashbuckler with a few torture and devil worship scenes.

I knew I should have just watched Horror Rises from the Tomb again!

Trevor

I've been listening to an audio dramatization of Dracula, so have been thinking about finally watching Van Helsing. I can't believe that I've put it off this long. I love the Universal horror franchises and Hugh Jackman, but somehow have skipped this one so far. With my biases I'll likely love it for being full of the creatures I enjoy.
I'll second this, some great tidbits in those commentaries.

I want to do a complete Universal marathon in chronological order one of these Octobers. Maybe this year, but I'm running out of time. Someone here once posted a great timeline of them all and the proper viewing order.

DaveyJoe

I wouldn't be so sure that you'll enjoy it...

shadokitty

Would Van Helsing even count? I know it is full of the classic monsters, but isn't it more action than horror?

wishbone

allmovie lists Van Helsing as Action and Horror so it technically counts although it would not be at the top of my viewing list for action or horror...

indiephantom

Really liked Dick Mass' The Shaft, the remake of his own film The Lift. One of my picks yesterday for before they were stars.

Kicked today's theme off with the sleazy Nail Gun Massace. It's bad, but oh, soo good.

Later I'm finally checking out The Wraith which squeaks in with a horror tag on IMDb and is listed for today's motorcylce horror. Great category, btw.

Reviews in my link.

Undeadcow

So many movies are ecclectic it'd be really easy to pick apart aspects that might not be "horror" but in my opinion if it's got a combination of solid tension, supernatural elements, gore, and/or atmosphere then it's horror [even that might be too broad].Action horror is a viable subgenre; End of Days starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (versus Satan) is an action horror guilty pleasure of mine.

mrcellophane

RE: The Van Helsing discussion

I want to be clear that Sommer's bloated movie is enjoyable to me, but I would never recommend anyone watch it. I don't want anyone to smack me for putting them through 2+ hours of silliness! FYI, one of the Face/Off judges contributed character designs; let's hope for his sake he was instrumental in the conception of the kick-ass Frankenstein's monster and not the horrendously bad vampire brides.

The film also got a very nice steelbook release with great cover art.

cwileyy

Finally caught up with this thread!

It's been a slower year for me this time around, and it's yet to be seen whether the next weeks will either go in the direction where I can watch a ton more, or barely anything.

I've been watching more than ever with friends, so there have been a lot of rewatches. Been loving the conversation here, though! Hoping I'll be able to keep up from here!

SethDLH

I love this movie for the first half hour or so and then it becomes torture to get through the same thing over and over.

brainee

Though if I'm tricked into thinking a movie is horror and it turns out it isn't ... I damn well count it for my list!

After saving it on DVR from over the weekend (from TCM Underground), I watched the Blacula movies. I had seen the first one ages ago (remembering very little of it). And I don't think I ever saw the second one (maybe scared away by some critics saying it was a horrible sequel). And that's wrong ... the second is quite a solid movie (and features Pam Grier as the leading lady). Both movies play surprisingly straight as horror movies, with some pretty creepy moments. Though you know they have to have some crazy dialog, clothes, and music.

BobO'Link

I don't recall it being discussed this year but *last* year I believe the decision was made that if it appears on a MC "Horror" collection it's countable even if it's decidedly *not* horror. Basically the inclusion on the set allows a non-horror film to be counted without burning a wild card.

*BUT* Devil's Possessed has Adventure/Horror genre labels at IMDB so it's OK.

SterlingBen

Well you can put me down for an equipment failure. Computer just decided not to turn on this morning

Bought a new battery to hopefully fix it but I am not super optimistic.

Now let's try editing on the iPad [shudder]

Undeadcow

Afflicted (2013) is a really great movie better seen without knowing much about it. It's at RedBox, if nothing else, easily worth a blind watch.

Mondo Kane

Even though You're Next is sure to end up on my best/favorite movies by the end of the challenge, that sure was some of the fakiest blood I've ever seen. What did they use? Tea and coffee?

I watched that dbl-feature too. Up to that point, I had never seen the first half of SBS before and was also surprised at how solid it actually turned out to be.

GoldenWheels

Haha thanks guys re Devils Possessed....I am not up for any prizes so only my own sense of horror honor is at stake here, but you've given me some good outs.

In regards to Van Helsing, it's really, really stupid. I should know, I've seen it multiple times. And will see it again.

BobO'Link

Put me down for liking Van Helsing. Yeah, it's fairly stupid and over-the-top but it's still a fun ride.

ntnon

Just wanted to point out that the TCM app (Android AND Apple) lets anyone who gets TCM on their TV (and who knows their TV provider login information) watch TCM "live" on mobile and pad-things and has an on-demand selection to watch whenever (for a week).

This week, the Blaculas and a Hammer Mummy are available.

shadokitty

Don't know if it has to do with my folks going out of town, and my being left to run the home business, or just missing them in general, but as soon as my folks left for their trip this afternoon, I've been down in the dumps. Probably going to slow down on the challenge for a couple days till they get home. I love horror, but I never found it good if I was in a blue mood. Maybe that's why I spent the night watching DC super hero movies and tv last night, thinking about them leaving. Which btw, I know not to count.

Re Van Helsing, count me as liking, it, stupid movie, but enjoyable popcorn flick.